© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Aghagaskin fort is a counterscarp rath situated near Magherafelt in County Londonderry. This earthwork monument dates to the early Christian period and represents a distinctive type of ringfort defensive architecture. The counterscarp rath is characterised by an outward-facing bank and ditch arrangement, which provided additional fortification around the main enclosure. Such monuments typically served as enclosed settlements or farmsteads for communities of status during the early medieval period in Ireland.
The fort is constructed upon bedrock composed of mafic volcanic material—lava flows and tuff—deposited during the Palaeogene geological period. This Extrusive Rock foundation has shaped the landscape of the Magherafelt area and would have influenced both the construction techniques and drainage characteristics of the earthwork. The volcanic geology of the region is visible in the surrounding terrain.
Aghagaskin fort is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities under reference number 13030. The site remains a significant record of early Christian settlement patterns in Ulster, contributing to our understanding of social organisation and land use during the early medieval centuries. The monument's survival demonstrates the enduring physical legacy of this period in the Irish landscape.
Aghagaskin fort. counterscarp rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 13030. View the official record →
Aghagaskin fort is a counterscarp rath situated near Magherafelt in County Londonderry. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 13030.
Aghagaskin fort. counterscarp rath dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a rath. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Aghagaskin fort. counterscarp rath is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 13030.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Multiperiod church & graveyard (early christian-modern) (2.4 km), Rath (2.6 km), Loughinsholin. crannog at loughinsholin (4.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Aghagaskin fort. counterscarp rath's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Aghagaskin fort. counterscarp rath stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.