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Giant's Grave is a wedge tomb located near Magherafelt in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This Neolithic and Bronze Age monument belongs to the distinctive class of megalithic tombs found predominantly in Ireland and Wales. The tomb sits upon bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, ancient mafic lavas and tuffs formed during volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. The geological foundation has weathered considerably since the monument's construction in the prehistoric past, yet its underlying volcanic bedrock has provided a stable platform for the megalithic structure.
Wedge tombs are characterised by their distinctive wedge-shaped ground plan, typically wider and higher at the entrance end and tapering towards the rear. The form and construction suggest ritual and burial practices specific to Bronze Age communities in the Irish landscape. Giant's Grave exemplifies this regional architectural tradition and contributes to the concentration of such monuments across the north of Ireland.
The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 12698, ensuring its preservation and archaeological significance for future study and public understanding of prehistoric settlement and funerary practices in the north of the island.
Giant's grave. wedge tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12698. View the official record →
Giant's Grave is a wedge tomb located near Magherafelt in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12698.
Giant's grave. wedge tomb dates from the neo/b.a. period, and is classified as a megalithic tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Giant's grave. wedge tomb 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 12698.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (2.5 km), Rath (2.8 km), Killelagh church. church, graveyard, & 2 bullauns (4.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Giant's grave. wedge tomb'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.
Giant's grave. wedge tomb stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.