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Bastion is a post-medieval fortification located in Antrim, Northern Ireland, and protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 3618. The structure stands upon bedrock composed of unnamed extrusive rocks of Palaeogene age, part of the mafic lava and tuff sequences that underlie much of the northeast Irish landscape. These ancient volcanic formations, laid down over 56 million years ago, provide the geological foundation for this later military work.
Post-medieval bastions represent a significant shift in military architecture, designed to withstand artillery fire through their low, angular profile and projecting corner bastions. Such fortifications typically date from the 16th century onwards, when gunpowder weapons fundamentally altered defensive strategy. The robust volcanic bedrock at this location would have provided stable ground for construction of such permanent earthwork or masonry defences.
The Bastion's position in Antrim reflects the strategic military concerns of early modern Ulster, a region of significant political and military importance during the post-medieval period. Its formal protection under the Historic Environment Division recognises its value as a surviving example of this important phase in Irish defensive architecture and engineering.
Bastion is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 3618. View the official record →
Bastion is a post-medieval fortification located in Antrim, Northern Ireland, and protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 3618.
Bastion dates from the post-med period, and is classified as a fortification. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Bastion 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 3618.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Killede, killelagh, dalnach?. church & bullaun (6.2 km), Mound - motte? (7.4 km), Rath group - univallate rath, counterscarp rath & trivallate rath (7.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bastion'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.
Bastion stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.