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Antrim Motte is a medieval earthwork monument located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The motte consists of a substantial raised mound typical of early Norman defensive architecture, likely constructed during the twelfth century as a symbol of feudal authority and control. The monument stands on bedrock formed from Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lavas and tuffs—which would have presented considerable challenges to those who excavated and built the earthwork, requiring significant labour to create its characteristic steep-sided form.
The motte's survival reflects the durability of its construction method, which relied on piling earth and stone rather than masonry. The underlying volcanic geology of the site, formed during the Paleogene period, would have provided suitable material for the mound's construction, though extracting stone from such hard bedrock would have demanded considerable effort. The monument likely served as the administrative and military hub of a Norman lordship, commanding the surrounding landscape.
Antrim Motte is protected under Historic Environment Division reference 4475, recognising its importance as evidence of medieval settlement patterns and Norman territorial expansion into Ulster. The site remains a valuable archaeological record of the period's social and political organisation in the region.
Motte is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 4475. View the official record →
Antrim Motte is a medieval earthwork monument located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 4475.
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.
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 4475.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bivallate rath (3.4 km), Rath (3.9 km), Counterscarp rath (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of 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.
Motte stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.