More information :
(SC 42708169) Fort (NR). (1)
Protected Monument. A small peninsular fort about 15ft by 42ft.
Walls 2ft high and 3-4ft wide. (2)
The Cashtal, Ballagawne. A small promontory fort, defended on one
side by a ditch (now filled in). Most of the fortified area is
occupied by the ruins of a large rectangular stone-faced building,
though this was not the earliest building on the site. Excavation by
Bersu in 1941 revealed four parallel rows of posts to support a raisedfloor. He concluded that it was probably a defended house site or
possibly a fortified granary, of late Norse or early medieval times.
(3 - 4)
The situation is typical of a Manx promontory fort but there is a lackof ground evidence to support this classification. The main element
is a steep natural rocky bluff extending from a pasture field into a
small valley. As a defensive site, no protective earthworks are
necessary except on the NE side to protect the landward approach.
There is now no trace of earthworks, but a sloping field surface
around the bluff could indicate the former existence of defences now
ploughed or silted up. The summit of the bluff is almost entirely
occupied by the footings of a building measuring 7.0m wide and 15.0m
in length NE-SW. The wall is approx 1.6m wide and is overgrown with
turf and shrubs but occasional rough rubble walling is discernible. Agap in the centre of the NE end is probably an original entrance. Thesides of the building are almost co-incident with the sides of the
bluff and no rampart or other feature that might antedate the buildingare evident. Below the bluff are the remains of a dam and traces of asilted-up mill race. A water-mill exists some 200m to the SE and it
seems likely that the stream has served a succession of mills. If
such is the case, Bersu's suggestion of a fortified granary occupying
the site seem feasible.
Surveyed at 1:2500 (5)
(SC 42708169) Earthwork (NR) (Caishtal) (NAT) (6)
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