© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Knock dhu is a multivallate promontory fort situated near Larne in County Antrim. Dating to the Iron Age, this defensive settlement occupies a naturally strong position, with its bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lava and tuff laid down in the Paleogene period. The fort's name derives from Irish, meaning "black hill," reflecting both its geological character and its prominence in the local landscape.
The monument is defended by multiple ramparts and ditches that exploit the promontory's natural geography to create formidable barriers. This multivallate design was characteristic of prestigious Iron Age strongholds, suggesting the site held significant strategic or ceremonial importance to its Iron Age occupants. The surrounding terrain would have afforded commanding views over the coastal approaches and hinterland.
Knock dhu is recorded in the Historic Environment Division's database under reference 2407 and benefits from statutory protection. Like other promontory forts of northern Ireland, it represents an important survival of Iron Age defensive architecture, its survival aided by its remote coastal setting and the challenging volcanic bedrock that continues to define the site's character today.
Knock dhu. multivallate promontory fort is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2407. View the official record →
Knock dhu is a multivallate promontory fort situated near Larne in County Antrim. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2407.
Knock dhu. multivallate promontory fort dates from the iron age period, and is classified as a promontory fort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Knock dhu. multivallate promontory fort 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 2407.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mounds (2) and neolithic & bronze age pottery and flint scatters (4.4 km), Findspot of flint and pottery (4.6 km), Kilwaughter mote. motte (5.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Knock dhu. multivallate promontory fort'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.
Knock dhu. multivallate promontory fort stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.