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Magherafelt Bivallate Rath is a multivallate ringfort of early Christian date, protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland. The rath comprises two concentric earthen banks with intervening ditches, a defensive arrangement typical of substantial early medieval Irish settlements occupied by families of considerable status. Such monuments frequently served as residences for local nobility and their retinues during the period from the fifth to the twelfth centuries.
The monument sits upon Palaeogene extrusive rocks—chiefly mafic lavas and tuffs—that form part of the volcanic geology underlying much of County Londonderry. This bedrock would have presented significant challenges to the monument's original builders, who nonetheless succeeded in constructing substantial earthworks suited to defence and display. The two-vallate design represents a commitment of labour and engineering considerable for its era.
The rath remains visible in the modern landscape near Magherafelt, preserving evidence of early Christian settlement patterns in Ulster. Such ringforts were typically enclosed with palisades or timber defences and often contained domestic structures within. The monument's survival demonstrates the enduring physical legacy of early medieval occupation in the region, offering insight into the territorial organisation and social hierarchy of early Christian Ireland.
Bivallate rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12428. View the official record →
Magherafelt Bivallate Rath is a multivallate ringfort of early Christian date, protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12428.
Bivallate rath 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.
Bivallate rath 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 12428.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Standing stone and burials (2 km), Rath (3.4 km), Rath (4.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bivallate rath'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.
Bivallate rath stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.