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Court Tomb is a prehistoric megalithic monument located in the townland of Newry and Mourne in County Down, Northern Ireland. The site sits upon bedrock of the Hawick Group, wacke formations that date to the Wenlock period of the Silurian. Court tombs are characteristic monuments of the Irish Neolithic, typically comprising a sunken court entered by a narrow passage leading to burial chambers. These monuments served as communal burial places and represent some of Ireland's earliest architectural achievements, built by farming communities during the period approximately 3500 to 3000 BC.
The geology underlying this site reflects the complex tectonic history of the Midland Valley. The Hawick Group wackes form a hardwearing base that has weathered the millennia since the tomb's construction, preserving the monument through successive periods of Irish prehistory. The site's location within Newry and Mourne places it within a broader landscape rich in megalithic remains.
The monument is legally protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities, registered under reference 8825. This statutory protection recognises the archaeological importance and cultural significance of the court tomb as evidence of Early Neolithic settlement patterns, social organisation and burial practices in northeast Ulster.
Court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8825. View the official record →
Court Tomb is a prehistoric megalithic monument located in the townland of Newry and Mourne in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8825.
Court tomb dates from the prehistoric 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 8825.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Stone faced rath - one of a pair with 051 (5.8 km), Standing stone (5.9 km), Stone faced rath - one of a pair with 051 (5.9 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 Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.