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Grahamstown mound is an uncertain mound located near Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument stands upon bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks, comprising mafic lava and tuff deposits that formed during intense volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period, some 60 million years ago. This geological foundation of dark, dense volcanic material would have presented a challenging substrate for any construction undertaken at the site.
The mound's origins and original function remain unclear, as with many upland earthworks of uncertain classification. Its position on volcanic bedrock in the Ballymena area, an upland landscape of the Antrim plateau, suggests it may have accumulated through natural processes, deliberate heaping, or a combination of both. Without definitive archaeological investigation or dating evidence, its chronology cannot be firmly established.
The monument is protected as a scheduled historic monument under the Historic Environment Division reference number 2705, recognising its potential archaeological and historical significance within the broader landscape heritage of mid-Antrim. The site's volcanic geological setting forms part of the distinctive natural heritage of this region of Northern Ireland, shaped by Palaeogene volcanism that created the distinctive topography of the surrounding area.
Grahamstown. mound is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2705. View the official record →
Grahamstown mound is an uncertain mound located near Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2705.
Grahamstown. mound dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Grahamstown. mound 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 2705.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Giants grave. court tomb (7.8 km), Tardree stone. standing stone (7.9 km), Court tomb (8.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Grahamstown. mound'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.
Grahamstown. mound stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.