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Bivallate rath and well is an early Christian ringfort situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument comprises two concentric earthen banks that once enclosed a central settlement area, a defensive configuration typical of raths constructed during the early medieval period. A well within the enclosure provided essential water supply to the inhabitants. The site rests upon Palaeogene extrusive rocks—primarily mafic lava and tuff formed millions of years ago when volcanic activity shaped this region of Ulster.
The bivallate design, with its dual defensive banks, suggests this rath may have held particular status or required additional fortification. Such dual-banked raths are found across early Christian Ireland, though they remain less common than single-banked examples. The presence of a recorded well indicates sophisticated understanding of site selection and water management during this period.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 4489 and forms part of the broader archaeological heritage of County Antrim. It remains an important example of early Christian settlement patterns in Ulster, reflecting the lives and social organisation of inhabitants during the early medieval centuries. The survival of both earthwork banks and the well feature provides valuable evidence of everyday life in early Christian Ireland.
Bivallate rath & well is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 4489. View the official record →
Bivallate rath and well is an early Christian ringfort situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 4489.
Bivallate rath & well 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 & well 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 4489.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bivallate rath with souterrain & rath annexe (3.6 km), Tullyrusk fort. raised rath & plantation fort (3.8 km), Rath (3.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Bivallate rath & well'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 & well stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.