Round Ellan

Period: Unclassified

NGR Easting: 241300

NGR Northing: 499160

Description: Earthwork enclosure. The place-name, Round Ellan, means ‘round island’ which gives some indication of its irregular oval shape. The site is raised slightly above the immediately surrounding land, but is overlooked by higher ground nearby to the north and east.

The eastern part of the site is best preserved, with a peripheral bank rising 2m from a ditch up to 0.7m deep and 10m wide. A weak outer bank is apparent in places. Ploughing has undoubtedly reduced the height and clarity of the banks since first surveyed by the Ordnance Survey in 1869. No trace of other interior structures has been surveyed.

Antiquarian opinion as to its origin was mixed, compounded by contradictory and misleading identification with other fortifications in the north of the Island, most notably the 17th century earthwork artillery fort at Kerroogarrow (see 0370), and coastal defences at Ramsey of similar date. The name 'Loyal Fort' is unlikely to relate to this site. The Duke of Wellington considered it similar to English Iron Age hillforts.

A small amount of worked flint and medieval pottery has been recovered as surface finds from inside and around the site.

Fundamentally, its poorly defensible topographical location make interpretation and dating difficult.

View map location on Archaeology Data Service

Site & Monument Type: fort

Category: National Monuments Record: Statutory Ancient Monuments

Site ID number: 0362.00