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Ballymena Ancient Field System is a rare surviving example of early medieval settlement and land organisation in County Antrim. The site comprises a rath—a circular earthwork dwelling of the early Christian period—alongside two round cairns, forming a complex of related monuments that reflect Iron Age and medieval use of this landscape. The monuments sit upon bedrock of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, dark mafic lavas and tuffs that underlie much of this part of Ballymena, creating naturally well-drained ground suited to settlement. The field system demonstrates how communities structured their lands around defended dwellings and ritual or burial sites during the early medieval centuries. Though comparable to other raths across Ulster, this site's specific topography and cairn placement offer insight into localised settlement patterns and land use in this region. Protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division, the field system remains an important record of how early medieval communities organised both their domestic and communal spaces.
Ancient field system, including rath & 2 round cairns (c.f. 038 is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2624. View the official record →
Ballymena Ancient Field System is a rare surviving example of early medieval settlement and land organisation in County Antrim. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2624.
Ancient field system, including rath & 2 round cairns (c.f. 038 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.
Ancient field system, including rath & 2 round cairns (c.f. 038 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 2624.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including See of dal riata, st. saviour's. monastery, church, cathedral, graveyard & cross (5.1 km), Trench. revetted mound & boundary ditch (5.1 km), Souterrain with ogham stones (2) (5.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ancient field system, including rath & 2 round cairns (c.f. 038'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.
Ancient field system, including rath & 2 round cairns (c.f. 038 stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.