Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandMoyleDun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle
C13TH · FORTIFICATION

Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle

Moyle, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 197
Period
C13TH
Site type
FORTIFICATION
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 197
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
C9876044580
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

Dunseverick Castle is a thirteenth-century fortification located in Moyle, County Antrim, commanding a position on the north Antrim coast. The castle exploits the natural defensive advantages of its geological setting, built upon Palaeogene extrusive rocks formed from ancient mafic lava flows and tuff deposits that create dramatic headland topography. These hard volcanic foundations have provided both structural support and a naturally fortified position throughout the castle's medieval period and beyond.

The castle represents a typical thirteenth-century stronghold type, strategically positioned to control access along the coastal route. Its location at grid reference C9876044580 places it within an area of significant archaeological and historical importance in medieval Ulster. The volcanic bedrock upon which the castle stands has weathered into the craggy terrain visible today, which would have enhanced the formidability of any defensive structures built here.

Dunseverick Castle is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities, registered under reference 197. This designation reflects its importance as a surviving example of medieval fortification in Northern Ireland and its contribution to understanding the settlement patterns and defensive strategies of thirteenth-century Ulster.

Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 197. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle?

Dunseverick Castle is a thirteenth-century fortification located in Moyle, County Antrim, commanding a position on the north Antrim coast. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 197.

What period does Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle date from?

Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle dates from the c13th period, and is classified as a fortification. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle?

Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle 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 197.

What other scheduled monuments are near Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dunboy. raised rath with souterrain (2.4 km), Cloughnaboghil, druids stone, cloghnaboghil, cloghnaboghil. passage tomb (3.7 km), Carnkirk castle. round cairn (3.8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman World
Ireland was never conquered by Rome, so this traces the island's Iron Age kingdoms and its contact with the Roman world.
Historic Records
The 19th-century records of this place: valuations, Ordnance Survey memoirs and topographical accounts.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle

Dun sobhairce, dunseverick castle. dunseverick castle stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.