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The bivallate rath at Lisburn is an early Christian enclosed settlement consisting of two concentric earthen banks with intervening ditches. Built upon bedrock of Palaeogene mafic lava and tuff, the monument represents a domestic and defensive structure characteristic of the early medieval period in Ireland, typically dating to between the fifth and twelfth centuries. Such sites functioned as the homesteads of minor nobles or free farmers, providing shelter for families, livestock and stored produce.
Raths of this type were commonplace throughout the Irish landscape, yet each reflects the specific topography and geology of its chosen location. The twin ramparts would have created concentric rings of protection and definition, with the outer bank serving as livestock enclosure whilst the inner circuit protected the domestic structures themselves. The volcanic substrate beneath this particular example would have offered both challenges and advantages to its original builders during construction and occupation.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 4545, recognising its importance to the archaeological and cultural heritage of the Lisburn area. The site survives as earthwork evidence of early Christian settlement patterns and the defensive strategies employed by the local population during the post-Roman period in Ireland.
Bivallate rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 4545. View the official record →
The bivallate rath at Lisburn is an early Christian enclosed settlement consisting of two concentric earthen banks with intervening ditches. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 4545.
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 4545.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Green mound. rath & multivallate motte (1 km), Giant's grave. megalithic tomb (1.9 km), Counterscarp rath (2.1 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.