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Bivallate Rath is a defended farmstead of the early Christian period, located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument comprises two concentric earthen banks that enclose a central residential area, a defensive design typical of raths constructed between the fifth and twelfth centuries. The bivallate form—featuring both an inner and outer rampart—suggests a settlement of some status or strategic importance during the early medieval period.
The rath sits upon Palaeogene extrusive rocks, a foundation of ancient mafic lava and tuff formed during the volcanic activity that shaped much of the Antrim landscape millions of years ago. This geological base would have provided a naturally well-drained site suitable for habitation and stock management. The bedrock composition has influenced both the preservation of the earthworks and the character of the surrounding terrain.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Northern Ireland Department for Communities under reference number 4500, ensuring the preservation of this important archaeological resource. Early Christian raths such as this provide valuable evidence of settlement patterns, social organisation and land use during a transformative period in Irish history, making them significant records of pre-Norman medieval society in Ulster.
Bivallate rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 4500. View the official record →
Bivallate Rath is a defended farmstead of the early Christian period, located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 4500.
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 4500.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tullyrusk fort. raised rath & plantation fort (3.4 km), Bivallate rath with souterrain & rath annexe (4.1 km), Rath (4.7 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.