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Bivallate Rath near Cookstown is a Early Christian ringfort characterised by two concentric defensive banks and ditches. This distinctive earthwork type was a common settlement form across medieval Ireland, serving as a defended homestead for a family or small community. The monument's dual ramparts would have provided substantial protection whilst allowing internal space for domestic and agricultural activities.
The site sits on Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lava and tuff deposits formed during intense volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. This geology has shaped the local landscape around Cookstown, creating the undulating terrain typical of County Tyrone's upland areas. The bedrock's composition influenced soil formation and drainage patterns that would have affected both the monument's construction and its suitability as a settlement location.
The bivallate rath is now protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities as a scheduled monument (reference 12489). Early Christian ringforts of this type typically date between the 5th and 12th centuries, though establishing precise chronology often requires archaeological investigation. The survival of its earthwork defences offers important evidence for understanding rural settlement patterns and defensive strategies in early medieval Ulster.
Bivallate rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12489. View the official record →
Bivallate Rath near Cookstown is a Early Christian ringfort characterised by two concentric defensive banks and ditches. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12489.
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 12489.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Counterscarp rath (0.4 km), Rath (0.9 km), Salter's castle, salter'stown. plantation castle, bawn & village site (2.9 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.