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Derry Cairn is a prehistoric funerary or ceremonial monument forming part of a complex of four cairns clustered within the same field in Derry, Northern Ireland. This particular example sits upon bedrock of the Argyll Group, a Neoproterozoic formation comprising marble and meta-limestone that would have been exposed or thinly covered when the monument was constructed. The cairn exemplifies the tradition of stone-built burial mounds that characterised Bronze Age communities across northern Britain and Ireland, where locally gathered stone was heaped over cremated remains or inhumations.
The presence of four cairns in close proximity suggests this field held particular significance for successive generations, possibly marking burial grounds or territorial focal points for prehistoric populations. The underlying marble and meta-limestone geology would have provided ready-worked stone suitable for cairn construction, whilst these distinctive light-coloured rocks may have rendered the monuments conspicuous in the landscape.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument under the Historic Environment Division's reference 12525, recognising its archaeological importance and ensuring its preservation for future research and public heritage appreciation.
Cairn (1 of 4 in same field) is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12525. View the official record →
Derry Cairn is a prehistoric funerary or ceremonial monument forming part of a complex of four cairns clustered within the same field in Derry, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12525.
Cairn (1 of 4 in same field) dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cairn complex. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cairn (1 of 4 in same field) 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 12525.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Giant's grave. wedge tomb (5.2 km), Rath (5.8 km), Silver brook house. c17th house (6.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairn (1 of 4 in same field)'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.
Cairn (1 of 4 in same field) stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is marble, meta-limestone.