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Ballywillwill Rath is a counterscarp rath and souterrain of early Christian date located in County Down, Northern Ireland. The monument sits upon bedrock of the Gala Group, a formation of wacke deposited during the Telychian period of the Silurian era, which would have influenced both the construction techniques and drainage characteristics of the site. The counterscarp design—featuring an outer bank and ditch arrangement—is typical of high-status early Christian settlements and would have served both defensive and territorial functions. The associated souterrain, an underground stone-lined passage, represents a common feature of such establishments, likely used for storage or refuge. The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference number 7982, recognising its archaeological significance as evidence of early medieval settlement patterns and social organisation in Ulster.
Ballywillwill rath. counterscarp rath & souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 7982. View the official record →
Ballywillwill Rath is a counterscarp rath and souterrain of early Christian date located in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 7982.
Ballywillwill rath. counterscarp rath & souterrain dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a rath & souterrain. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Ballywillwill rath. counterscarp rath & souterrain 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 7982.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cashel & souterrain (3.5 km), D-shaped enclosure - possibly cemetery (4.9 km), Standing stone (5.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ballywillwill rath. counterscarp rath & souterrain'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.
Ballywillwill rath. counterscarp rath & souterrain stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.