Woodstown - Promontory Fort

Near the village of Annestown, the site of the Promontory Fort at Woodstown juts out southwards into the Celtic sea. The Fort was originally cut off from the landward side by a bank measuring 7 metres wide and 2.2 meters high and a Fosse (Moat) of 1.6 meters in width.The entrance was towards the East end. The internal area of the Fort was approximately 1,100 square metres. However,this may have been greater and have once included Brown's Island which is now seperated by the sea.

Coastal Promontory Forts are monuments which most likely date to the late Prehistoric period, such as the Iron Age with the ones found in Waterford bearing much similarities to those in Britain and Brittany. All consist of a fortification of the landward side by a bank and fosse of a naturally defensive sea promontory.

Waterford was particularly suited to the building of such defences and nearly all suited sites were utilised.

The Bank and Fosse with Fort to the left

The cliff top location of the Fort

Directions: From Tramore travel on the R675 coastal road to Annestown which is a journey of 9km. Just before the village of Annestown there is a sharp bend to the right where the road leads up towards the village. Directly opposite this bend is the car park for Annestown beach. Park here and follow the coastal footpath to the left up along the cliff edge. About 100 metres on you will see the defensive bank of the fort.

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Other sites in this area - Woodstown standing stone, Dunhill portal tomb