List of hillforts on the Isle of Man

This is a list of hillforts on the Isle of Man . Found across Europe and the British Isles, hillforts are a type of prehistoric archaeological site dating to the Bronze Age and Iron Age, and to a lesser extent the post-Roman period. They are classically defined as small hilltop settlements fortified with earthworks, but many are not located on hills, and probably did not function as forts. ^[1] Their function is unclear; although conventionally interpreted as defensive fortifications ^[2] and centres of economic political power, ^[3] there is little evidence that they were ever attacked, ^[1] and more recent scholarship has suggested that they may be better interpreted as monuments. ^[4]

According to the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland , there are up to twenty eight extant hillforts on Mann itself, and possibly two on the Calf of Man. All but two are on the coast. ^[5]

Ayre

• Cashtal Ree Gorree, also known as Balyhamig, a promontory fort located on the northwestern shore of the island. The site was first reported by German archaeologist Gerhard Bersu, who surveyed the island whilst being held there as a prisoner of war, in 1949. ^[6] P. J. Fowler of the RCHME revisited the site in 1984 and suggested it may in fact be a natural feature. ^[7] 54°23′28″N4°28′45″W / 54.391°N 4.4793°W / 54.391; -4.4793 (Cashtal Ree Gorree)
• Cronk Sumark ^[8] 54°19′02″N4°28′25″W / 54.3171°N 4.4736°W / 54.3171; -4.4736 (Cronk Sumark)
• Vowlan ^[9] 54°20′02″N4°23′05″W / 54.334°N 4.3846°W / 54.334; -4.3846 (Vowlan)

Garff

• Ballure ^[10] 54°18′57″N4°22′24″W / 54.3159°N 4.3734°W / 54.3159; -4.3734 (Ballure)
• The Cashtal ^[11] 54°12′24″N4°24′48″W / 54.2067°N 4.4133°W / 54.2067; -4.4133 (The Cashtal, Ballagawne)
• Gob ny Garvain ^[12] 54°16′55″N4°19′25″W / 54.282°N 4.3235°W / 54.282; -4.3235 (Gob ny Garvain, Ballafayle)
• Maughold Head ^[13] 54°17′54″N4°18′45″W / 54.2983°N 4.3124°W / 54.2983; -4.3124 (Maughold Head)

Glenfaba

• Borrane Ballelby ^[14] 54°10′30″N4°44′09″W / 54.1749°N 4.7359°W / 54.1749; -4.7359 (Borrane Ballelby)
• Borrane Creglea ^[15] 54°10′00″N4°44′28″W / 54.1667°N 4.741°W / 54.1667; -4.741 (Borrane Creglea)
• Buggane Mooar ^[16] 54°14′45″N4°38′56″W / 54.2459°N 4.6488°W / 54.2459; -4.6488 (Buggane Mooar)
• Cronk Mooar ny Traagh ^[17] 54°10′55″N4°43′26″W / 54.182°N 4.7238°W / 54.182; -4.7238 (Cronk Mooar ny Traagh, Patrick)
• Niarbyl ^[18] 54°09′44″N4°44′23″W / 54.1623°N 4.7396°W / 54.1623; -4.7396 (Niarbyl)
• Peel Castle ^[19] 54°13′35″N4°41′55″W / 54.2265°N 4.6987°W / 54.2265; -4.6987 (Peel Castle)
• Port y Candas ^[20] 54°12′13″N4°37′44″W / 54.2035°N 4.629°W / 54.2035; -4.629 (Port y Candas)

Middle

• Cass ny Hawin ^[21] 54°05′27″N4°36′15″W / 54.0909°N 4.6043°W / 54.0909; -4.6043 (Cass ny Hawin)
• Cronk ny Merriu ^[22] 54°06′09″N4°34′31″W / 54.1026°N 4.5752°W / 54.1026; -4.5752 (Cronk ny Merriu)
• Little Switzerland ^[23] 54°09′51″N4°28′14″W / 54.1643°N 4.4706°W / 54.1643; -4.4706 (Little Switzerland)
• Meary Veg ^[24] 54°06′12″N4°32′45″W / 54.1034°N 4.5459°W / 54.1034; -4.5459 (Meary Veg)
• Purt ny Ceebagh ^[25] 54°06′05″N4°34′18″W / 54.1013°N 4.5716°W / 54.1013; -4.5716 (Purt ny Ceebagh)
• Santon Burn ^[26] 54°05′35″N4°36′18″W / 54.0931°N 4.6051°W / 54.0931; -4.6051 (Santon Burn)

Rushen

• 

  Cronk ny Merriu

  Buroo ^[27] 54°02′40″N4°48′50″W / 54.0444°N 4.8138°W / 54.0444; -4.8138 (Buroo, Calf of Man)
• Burroo Ned ^[28] 54°03′42″N4°47′16″W / 54.0616°N 4.7877°W / 54.0616; -4.7877 (Burroo Ned)
• Caigher Point ^[29] 54°03′14″N4°49′25″W / 54.054°N 4.8237°W / 54.054; -4.8237 (Caigher Point, Calf of Man)
• Chapel Hill ^[30] 54°04′46″N4°40′55″W / 54.0795°N 4.6819°W / 54.0795; -4.6819 (Chapel Hill, Balladoole)
• Close ny Chollagh ^[31] 54°04′12″N4°40′57″W / 54.0699°N 4.6824°W / 54.0699; -4.6824 (Close ny chollagh, Scarlett)
• Hango Broogh ^[32] 54°04′18″N4°36′29″W / 54.0717°N 4.6081°W / 54.0717; -4.6081 (Hango Broogh)
• The Parade ^[33] 54°03′50″N4°47′36″W / 54.0638°N 4.7932°W / 54.0638; -4.7932 (The Parade)
• Towlfoggy ^[34] 54°04′05″N4°44′30″W / 54.068°N 4.7417°W / 54.068; -4.7417 (Towlfoggy)
• Langness Point ^[35] 54°03′18″N4°37′53″W / 54.0549°N 4.6314°W / 54.0549; -4.6314 (Langness Point)
• South Barrule ^[36] 54°08′57″N4°40′08″W / 54.1493°N 4.6688°W / 54.1493; -4.6688 (South Barrule)

References

1. Morris, Steven (21 June 2017). "Hill fort hotspots in UK and Ireland mapped for first time in online atlas". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 27 July 2017.
2. Hawkes, Christopher (1931). "Hill-Forts". Antiquity. 5 (17): 60–97. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00005603. ISSN   0003-598X. S2CID   246042804.
3. Cunliffe, Barrington Windsor (1974). Iron Age Communities in Britain: an account of England, Scotland and Wales from the seventh century BC until the Roman conquest. London: Routledge. OCLC   819799871.
4. Hamilton, Sue; Manley, John (2001). "Hillforts, monumentality and place: a chronological and topographic review of first millennium BC hillforts of south-east England". European Journal of Archaeology. 4 (1): 7–42. doi:10.1179/eja.2001.4.1.7. ISSN   1461-9571. S2CID   221325363.
5. "Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland" . Retrieved 27 July 2017.
6. Bersu, Gerhard (1949). "A Promontory Fort on the Shore of Ramsey Bay, Isle of Man" . The Antiquaries Journal. 29 (1–2): 62–79. doi:10.1017/S0003581500020710. ISSN   1758-5309. S2CID   161791260.
7. "Cashtal Ree Gorree". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
8. "Cronk Sumark". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
9. "Vowlan". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
10. "Ballure". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
11. "The Cashtal". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
12. "Gob ny Garvain". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
13. "Maughold Head". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
14. "Borrane Ballelby". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
15. "Borrane Creglea". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
16. "Buggane Mooar". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
17. "Cronk Mooar ny Traagh". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
18. "Niarbyl". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
19. "Peel Castle". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
20. "Port y Candas". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
21. "Cass ny Hawin". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
22. "Cronk ny Merriu". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
23. "Little Switzerland". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
24. "Meary Veg". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
25. "Purt ny Ceebagh". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
26. "Santon Burn". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
27. "Buroo". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
28. "Burroo Ned". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
29. "Caigher Point". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
30. "Chapel Hill". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
31. "Close ny Chollagh". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
32. "Hango Broogh". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
33. "The Parade". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
34. "Towlfoggy". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
35. "Langness Point". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.
36. "South Barrule". Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland . Retrieved 24 May 2025.