Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandBanbridgeBig fort. rath & souterrain
E.CHRIST. · RATH & SOUTERRAIN

Big fort. rath & souterrain

Banbridge, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 8339
Period
E.CHRIST.
Site type
RATH & SOUTERRAIN
Nation
Northern Ireland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

Big fort, Rath and Souterrain is an Early Christian ringfort located in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. The site comprises a earthen rath, or fortified residential enclosure, typical of the Early Christian period in Ireland, together with an underground stone-built souterrain that served defensive and storage functions. Raths of this type were the primary settlement form for the middle and upper classes of Early Christian Ireland, generally dating from the fifth to the twelfth centuries, with many constructed during the earlier medieval period. The souterrain represents characteristic Iron Age and Early Christian engineering, providing both practical refuge and secure storage space within the fortified settlement.

Big fort. rath & souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8339. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Big fort. rath & souterrain?

Big fort, Rath and Souterrain is an Early Christian ringfort located in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8339.

What period does Big fort. rath & souterrain date from?

Big fort. 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Big fort. rath & souterrain?

Big fort. 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 8339.

What other scheduled monuments are near Big fort. rath & souterrain?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Standing stone (0.8 km), Cashel & souterrain (1.3 km), Cashel (4 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in the UK — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Big fort. rath & souterrain