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Donegore motte is a medieval earthwork situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, comprising a substantial mound surrounded by a defensive ditch. The monument represents a classic Norman-era castle form, constructed to command the local landscape and serve as a stronghold during the medieval settlement of Ireland. The mound and moat earthworks remain prominent landscape features within the area.
The site is founded upon Palaeogene extrusive rocks, specifically mafic lava and tuff formations created during volcanic activity millions of years before the medieval period. This volcanic bedrock would have influenced both the choice of location and the physical character of the excavated ditch, as the underlying geology determined drainage and the natural properties of the surrounding soil.
Donegore motte is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland under reference 3489, recognising its archaeological and historical significance. The survival of both mound and moat in defined form contributes substantially to understanding the medieval military architecture and settlement patterns of County Antrim during this period.
Donegore motte, donegore moat. motte is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 3489. View the official record →
Donegore motte is a medieval earthwork situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, comprising a substantial mound surrounded by a defensive ditch. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 3489.
Donegore motte, donegore moat. 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.
Donegore motte, donegore moat. 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 3489.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Standing stone (8.5 km), Barrow (8.5 km), Mound - burial mound? (8.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Donegore motte, donegore moat. 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.
Donegore motte, donegore moat. motte stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.