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Dunmull is a multiphase ecclesiastical site situated near Coleraine in County Londonderry, comprising a hillfort, bullaun stone and holy well. The monument rests on Palaeogene extrusive rocks, a volcanic geology of mafic lava and tuff that characterises this region's ancient bedrock. The site's layered occupation reflects successive religious and defensive purposes across different periods.
The hillfort represents the earliest phase of occupation, its defensive earthworks typical of Iron Age settlement practice. In the early Christian period, the site was reoccupied and sanctified, with religious monuments introduced alongside the older fortification. The bullaun stone, a small stone basin formed by cupmarks, served a devotional function common to early Christian sites across Ireland and Britain, possibly used for ritual purposes or sacred ablutions.
The holy well at Dunmull continues the site's long association with water and spirituality. Wells were central to early Christian practice in Ireland, often Christianised versions of earlier pagan sacred sites, combining natural hydrology with religious significance. The combination of hillfort, bullaun and well at Dunmull demonstrates how early Christian communities adapted existing prominent locations, layering new spiritual meaning onto landscapes already marked by ancient settlement.
Dunmull. hillfort, bullaun and well is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 435. View the official record →
Dunmull is a multiphase ecclesiastical site situated near Coleraine in County Londonderry, comprising a hillfort, bullaun stone and holy well. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 435.
Dunmull. hillfort, bullaun and well dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dunmull. hillfort, bullaun and well 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 435.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Motte, bailey & outer enclosure (6.2 km), Tidal ford & mesolithic material (7.1 km), Mount sandel. mesolithic settlement site (7.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dunmull. hillfort, bullaun and well'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.
Dunmull. hillfort, bullaun and well stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.