© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Crosskennan fort is a medieval motte situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument stands on bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, mafic lava and tuff that formed during volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. This ancient geological foundation provides a naturally elevated platform upon which the earthwork was constructed, exploiting the landscape's inherent topography for defensive advantage.
The motte represents a characteristic form of medieval fortification common throughout Ireland and Britain during the medieval period. Such structures typically comprised an artificial or enhanced mound crowned with a wooden palisade and tower, serving as the stronghold of a Norman or Anglo-Norman lord. The fort's strategic location in Antrim reflects the pattern of medieval settlement and territorial control in Ulster during the post-conquest period.
Crosskennan fort is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 2783, recognising its significance as evidence of medieval military architecture and settlement patterns in the region. The site remains an important archaeological monument that contributes to understanding the medieval occupation and defence of the Antrim landscape.
Crosskennan fort. motte is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2783. View the official record →
Crosskennan fort is a medieval motte situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2783.
Crosskennan fort. motte dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Crosskennan fort. motte 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 2783.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath and motte (6.5 km), Bull mount. counterscarp rath reused as motte & bailey with later enclosure (6.9 km), Bivallate rath (7.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Crosskennan fort. motte'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.
Crosskennan fort. motte stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.