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Court Tomb is a Neolithic megalithic monument located in Moyle, Northern Ireland. The site sits upon bedrock of the Argyll Group, ancient sedimentary rocks formed during the Neoproterozoic period, composed of psammite, semipelite and pelite. This geological foundation lies beneath what was once a communal burial structure built by Early Neolithic communities, likely dating to the fourth millennium BC.
Court tombs are characteristic of Neolithic Ulster and the wider northwest, distinguished by their distinctive open forecourt area from which burial galleries radiate. The structure would have served as a focal point for a farming community, functioning both as a burial place and possibly as a ceremonial centre. The construction required substantial effort, involving the arrangement of stone to create chambers and passages covered by cairn material, reflecting the social organisation and labour coordination of these early agricultural societies.
Today, Court Tomb remains protected as a scheduled monument under the Historic Environment Division, recorded under reference 606. Though the original monument has likely been substantially reduced or altered over millennia, its presence at this location continues to mark an important place in the Neolithic settlement pattern of the Moyle landscape, providing evidence of how early farming communities structured their territories and commemorated their dead.
Court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 606. View the official record →
Court Tomb is a Neolithic megalithic monument located in Moyle, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 606.
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 606.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The haunton stone. megalithic tomb (1.9 km), Standing stone (2.7 km), Dual court tomb (3.5 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 Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.