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Kilwaughter mote is a medieval motte situated near Larne in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument stands upon bedrock of chalk and sandstone formed during the Late Cretaceous period, part of the Hibernian Greensands Formation and Ulster White Limestone Formation. This geological foundation would have provided a firm base for the earthwork's construction.
Mottes of this type were typically erected during the Norman colonisation of Ireland, particularly from the twelfth century onwards. They served as fortified residences and administrative centres, their elevated mounds offering defensive advantage and commanding views across surrounding lands. The motte form—an artificial or enhanced mound crowned with a palisaded stronghold—represented an efficient and widely adopted design for early medieval lordship.
Kilwaughter mote is protected as a recorded monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference number 2715. The site remains an important archaeological record of the medieval period in east County Antrim, contributing to understanding of Norman settlement patterns and the development of territorial control in the region.
Kilwaughter mote. motte is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2715. View the official record →
Kilwaughter mote is a medieval motte situated near Larne in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2715.
Kilwaughter mote. motte dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Kilwaughter mote. motte 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 2715.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Platform rath & souterrain (1.9 km), Dunisland moat, dunisland fort. motte (4.6 km), Carndoo, the abbey, druid's altar. court tomb (5.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Kilwaughter mote. motte'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.
Kilwaughter mote. motte stands on Hibernian Greensands Formation And Ulster White Limestone Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Cretaceous. The rock here is chalk and sandstone.