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Bean fort is a pair of conjoined raths situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument comprises two circular earthworks joined together, with the larger rath displaying three concentric banks and ditches—a trivallate form characteristic of Early Christian Ireland. This dual structure represents an unusual settlement arrangement, possibly reflecting the occupation of the site by multiple related families or an expansion of the original fortification during the Early Christian period.
The fort occupies land underlain by Lough Neagh Clays Group bedrock, a Tertiary clay and lignite deposit formed during the Oligocene epoch. This geology would have presented both advantages and challenges to Early Christian settlers: whilst the clay soil retained moisture and could support pasture, construction of the substantial earthen banks required considerable labour and management of waterlogging.
Bean fort is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Division reference 3293. The site remains an important archaeological record of Early Christian settlement patterns in the region, its dual-rath configuration offering insight into the social and domestic arrangements of communities that occupied Antrim during this transformative period in Irish history.
Bean fort. two conjoined raths, one trivallate is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 3293. View the official record →
Bean fort is a pair of conjoined raths situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 3293.
Bean fort. two conjoined raths, one trivallate 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.
Bean fort. two conjoined raths, one trivallate 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 3293.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Killede, killelagh, dalnach?. church & bullaun (4.7 km), Mound - motte? (5.7 km), Rath group - univallate rath, counterscarp rath & trivallate rath (5.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bean fort. two conjoined raths, one trivallate'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.
Bean fort. two conjoined raths, one trivallate stands on Lough Neagh Clays Group, bedrock that formed in the Oligocene. The rock here is clay and lignite.