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Coleraine Motte is a medieval motte and bailey castle situated on Palaeogene bedrock comprising mafic lava and tuff. The earthwork consists of a raised motte crowned by a bailey enclosure, with an outer defensive bank defining an additional enclosure beyond. The monument lies in the townland of Coleraine in County Londonderry, occupying a strategic position overlooking the River Bann valley.
The motte and bailey represents a standard Norman form of fortification, typically comprising a timber palisade and wooden or stone tower upon the raised central motte. The bailey provided additional defended space for administrative and domestic functions within the wider enclosure. Such castles formed a crucial component of medieval territorial control and settlement in Ireland from the 12th century onwards.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities under reference 11394. The substantial earthworks remain clearly visible today, preserving the original defensive design. The underlying volcanic geology of the locality provided a stable foundation for construction and has contributed to the survival of these significant medieval features in the landscape.
Motte, bailey & outer enclosure is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 11394. View the official record →
Coleraine Motte is a medieval motte and bailey castle situated on Palaeogene bedrock comprising mafic lava and tuff. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 11394.
Motte, bailey & outer enclosure dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte & bailey. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Motte, bailey & outer enclosure 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 11394.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Fundamental bench mark (4.8 km), Macosquin, merchant taylors' buildings. plantation village site with mill, house & bawn (5.5 km), Piper's hill. long mound (5.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Motte, bailey & outer enclosure'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.
Motte, bailey & outer enclosure stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.