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# D-shaped enclosure and structures, Ballymena
The D-shaped enclosure and structures is an uncertain settlement site near Ballymena in County Antrim. The monument comprises a distinctly curved earthwork that encloses an area containing structural remains. The enclosure's unusual D-shaped plan suggests a deliberate architectural design, though the site's true chronology and function remain undetermined. Such irregular enclosures are found across northern Ireland and may represent domestic, ceremonial or defensive settlements spanning multiple periods.
The site lies on bedrock of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, a mafic lava and tuff formation typical of the plateau basalts that characterise much of the north Antrim landscape. This volcanic geology would have determined settlement location, providing both accessible stone for construction and particular drainage characteristics. The surrounding terrain and soil types shaped how the enclosure was built and maintained.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 2376, reflecting its potential archaeological significance despite the uncertainty surrounding its dating and original purpose. The D-shaped plan and associated structures warrant further investigation to clarify whether this represents an early medieval farmstead, an Iron Age settlement, or another form of occupation. Such sites contribute materially to understanding how communities occupied and shaped the Ballymena landscape across the centuries.
D-shaped enclosure and structures is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2376. View the official record →
# D-shaped enclosure and structures, Ballymena The D-shaped enclosure and structures is an uncertain settlement site near Ballymena in County Antrim. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2376.
D-shaped enclosure and structures dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a settlement site. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
D-shaped enclosure and structures 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 2376.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ring barrow (2.1 km), Ring barrow (2.5 km), The swine craes. raised rath, enclosure & ancient fields (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of D-shaped enclosure and structures'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.
D-shaped enclosure and structures stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.