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Court Tomb at Larne is a Neolithic megalithic monument protected as a scheduled historic monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 2466. Court tombs are communal burial structures built during the Neolithic period, typically comprising a stone-built chamber accessed from an open forecourt where ritual activities took place. This example sits on bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, ancient mafic lava and tuff deposits that underlie much of the Larne area and would have shaped the resources available to its builders.
The monument occupies a strategic location in County Antrim, situated near Larne's coast where Neolithic communities exploited rich marine and terrestrial resources. The local geology of volcanic-origin stone would have provided suitable material for constructing the megalithic chamber and surrounding stonework, though builders also sourced other materials from the surrounding landscape. The protective forecourt design reflects the social significance of these structures as focal points for ancestor veneration and communal gatherings within Neolithic communities.
Today the court tomb survives as a testament to the sophisticated architectural knowledge of early farming communities in Ulster, demonstrating their understanding of stone construction and monumental design over five thousand years after its creation.
Court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2466. View the official record →
Court Tomb at Larne is a Neolithic megalithic monument protected as a scheduled historic monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 2466.
Court tomb dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a megalithic tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Court tomb 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 2466.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Adam corry, ballycor. medieval church & graveyard (4.1 km), Enclosure (5.5 km), Motte (6.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Court tomb'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.
Court tomb stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.