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Counterscarp rath and souterrain is a early medieval earthwork and underground passage monument located near Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The site comprises a rath—a defensive ringfort typical of Irish settlement from the fifth to twelfth centuries—together with an associated souterrain, an artificial underground chamber or passage constructed for storage or refuge. The monument sits upon bedrock of Palaeogene mafic lava and tuff, part of the volcanic geology that characterises this region of north-eastern Ireland.
The rath's defining feature is its counterscarp, a distinctive outer bank that reinforces the main defensive enclosure, creating a formidable barrier against assault. Such fortified homesteads were the residences of free farmers and minor nobility, reflecting the hierarchical rural society of early medieval Ireland. The souterrain, typically accessed from within the rath, represents the sophisticated engineering knowledge of its builders, who exploited the underlying rock to create stone-lined passages for practical purposes.
The monument is protected under the Historic Environment Division's records as site reference 2650, recognising its archaeological and historical significance as evidence of early medieval settlement patterns and domestic architecture in the Ballymena locality.
Counterscarp rath and souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2650. View the official record →
Counterscarp rath and souterrain is a early medieval earthwork and underground passage monument located near Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2650.
Counterscarp rath and souterrain dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a rath & souterrain. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Counterscarp rath and souterrain 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 2650.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rectangular enclosure (5.9 km), Mount hilly, mount wholly. counterscarp rath (6.5 km), Rath (6.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Counterscarp rath and souterrain'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.
Counterscarp rath and souterrain stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.