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Enclosure at Moyle is a prehistoric earthwork of uncertain function, possibly constructed as either a barrow or rath. Located in County Antrim within the Moyle district, the monument sits on bedrock comprising Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lava and tuff formed during the Paleogene period some 66 to 23 million years ago. This volcanic geology, now weathered and overlain with soil, provided the substrate upon which later prehistoric communities established their settlement or burial site.
The enclosure's true purpose remains ambiguous from its physical form alone. If a barrow, it would represent a Bronze Age or earlier burial monument; if a rath, it would indicate an Iron Age or early medieval ringfort settlement. The enclosure is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 11, ensuring its preservation as part of the archaeological record.
The monument contributes to understanding prehistoric land use in the Moyle region. Its location reflects choices made by ancient peoples regarding topography and available resources, though without excavation its precise date and function cannot be definitively established. The site forms part of the broader landscape of prehistoric monuments across northern Ireland.
Enclosure - possibly barrow or rath. is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 11. View the official record →
Enclosure at Moyle is a prehistoric earthwork of uncertain function, possibly constructed as either a barrow or rath. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 11.
Enclosure - possibly barrow or rath. dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Enclosure - possibly barrow or rath. 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 11.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Motte with castle ruins & souterrain (4.7 km), Tober-bile. standing stone (4.9 km), Carn an truagh, knocklayd. megalithic tomb, possibly passage tomb (5.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Enclosure - possibly barrow or rath.'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.
Enclosure - possibly barrow or rath. stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.