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Little Ardymagh is a Early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure with souterrains, located near Larne in County Antrim. The site represents a settlement of the Early Christian period, when monastic and religious communities were established throughout Ireland. The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 2463.
The enclosure sits upon Palaeogene extrusive rocks, comprising mafic lavas and tuffs that underlie much of this part of County Antrim. These volcanic bedrock formations, laid down approximately 60 million years ago, would have presented both practical challenges and advantages to the Early Christian settlers who chose to occupy this location. The underlying geology influenced the site's hydrology and soil composition, shaping how the community utilised the landscape.
Souterrains—subterranean stone-built passages and chambers—are a distinctive feature of Early Christian Irish archaeology. At Little Ardymagh, these underground structures suggest storage facilities or refuge spaces integral to the functioning of the religious settlement. The combination of an ecclesiastical enclosure with souterrains reflects the sophisticated spatial organisation typical of early monastic communities, where practical domestic functions coexisted with spiritual and administrative activities within defined boundaries.
Little ardymagh. ecclesiastical enclosure with souterrains is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2463. View the official record →
Little Ardymagh is a Early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure with souterrains, located near Larne in County Antrim. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2463.
Little ardymagh. ecclesiastical enclosure with souterrains dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a settlement site. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Little ardymagh. ecclesiastical enclosure with souterrains 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 2463.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dunamoy moat. motte (4.9 km), Adam corry, ballycor. medieval church & graveyard (5.9 km), Enclosure (7.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Little ardymagh. ecclesiastical enclosure with souterrains'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.
Little ardymagh. ecclesiastical enclosure with souterrains stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.