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Cairn at Derry is a substantial stone mound forming part of a four-cairn complex in County Londonderry. The monument sits on bedrock of the Argyll Group, Neoproterozoic psammites, semipelites and pelites that underlie this landscape, providing the stone-rich glacial deposits from which the cairn was constructed. Such megalithic monuments typically served as burial markers or territorial markers during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, though the specific chronology of this example remains to be precisely established.
The cairn's position within a wider ceremonial or funerary landscape is evident from the presence of three further cairns within the same field, suggesting a co-ordinated use of this location during prehistory. The grouping indicates deliberate placement across the terrain, possibly marking ritual or burial sites of significance to the communities who constructed them. The Argyll Group bedrock has weathered to produce the raw material for cairn building, making this moorland location naturally suited to monumental stone work.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities, Northern Ireland, under reference 16454. Cairn complexes of this type remain important archaeological resources for understanding prehistoric settlement patterns, ritual practices and land use across the north of Ireland.
Cairn (1 of 4 in same field) is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 16454. View the official record →
Cairn at Derry is a substantial stone mound forming part of a four-cairn complex in County Londonderry. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 16454.
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 16454.
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 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 psammite, semipelite and pelite.