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Cashel rock, Cashel is a large stone-built enclosure of uncertain date and function located near Coleraine in County Londonderry. The monument consists of a substantial ring of dry-stone walling set upon bedrock composed of mafic lava and tuff of Palaeogene age. This dark volcanic foundation, formed during intense geological activity millions of years ago, provided the natural platform upon which the enclosure was constructed.
The site's classification as an uncertain enclosure reflects the challenges in assigning it to a specific period of occupation or use. Such fortified or stock-containing ringworks are common features of the Irish landscape, with examples ranging from the early medieval period onwards. The substantial nature of Cashel rock's stone walls suggests it served a significant function, whether defensive, ceremonial or pastoral, though the absence of diagnostic artefacts or structural details prevents confident dating.
The monument is protected as a scheduled historic monument by the Historic Environment Division, reflecting its importance as a surviving example of stone-built enclosure construction. Its preservation on the volcanic geology of the Coleraine area contributes to understanding how communities adapted their building practices to local geological conditions and landscape resources.
Cashel rock, cashel. large enclosure is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 11995. View the official record →
Cashel rock, Cashel is a large stone-built enclosure of uncertain date and function located near Coleraine in County Londonderry. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 11995.
Cashel rock, cashel. large enclosure dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cashel rock, cashel. large enclosure 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 11995.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wedge tomb (3.5 km), St. adamnan's footprints, giant's track, shane's leap. inauguration stone (4.4 km), The rhellick. killeen, possibly cashel & souterrain (4.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cashel rock, cashel. large enclosure'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.
Cashel rock, cashel. large enclosure stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.