PREHISTORIC · MEGALITHIC TOMB

Megalithic tomb

Moyle, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 806
Period
PREHISTORIC
Site type
MEGALITHIC TOMB
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 806
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
D1583038610
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

Moyle Megalithic Tomb is a prehistoric monument sited in the Moyle district of Northern Ireland. The structure rests upon bedrock of the Argyll Group, ancient sedimentary rock formations of psammite, semipelite and pelite laid down during the Neoproterozoic period. This underlying geology of metamorphic sandstone and clay-derived stone would have shaped both the quarrying practices of the monument's builders and the character of the landscape they inhabited.

The tomb is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 806. Its location on this distinctive geological foundation links it to the broader pattern of megalithic burial construction that flourished across the north of Ireland during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. Such monuments typically served as communal burial sites and ceremonial focal points for dispersed populations.

The monument survives within the modern Moyle landscape as testimony to the monumental architecture and religious practices of prehistoric communities. The specific character of the local geology would have influenced the types of stone available for the tomb's construction, making this an important example of how prehistoric peoples adapted their building techniques to local resources and conditions.

Megalithic tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 806. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Megalithic tomb?

Moyle Megalithic Tomb is a prehistoric monument sited in the Moyle district of Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 806.

What period does Megalithic tomb date from?

Megalithic tomb dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a megalithic tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Megalithic tomb?

Megalithic 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 806.

What other scheduled monuments are near Megalithic tomb?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Court tomb (2.1 km), The haunton stone. megalithic tomb (3.6 km), Dual court tomb (4.4 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Megalithic tomb

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Megalithic tomb's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman World
Ireland was never conquered by Rome, so this traces the island's Iron Age kingdoms and its contact with the Roman world.
Historic Records
The 19th-century records of this place: valuations, Ordnance Survey memoirs and topographical accounts.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Megalithic tomb

Megalithic tomb stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.