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Lisburn Motte is a medieval earthwork monument sited in County Antrim on bedrock of the Enler Group, Early Permian sandstone and breccia formations that underlie the drumlin landscape of this region. The motte survives as an artificial earthen mound raised in the medieval period, a common fortification type across Ireland and Britain from the twelfth century onwards. Such mottes typically served as strongholds for Norman and Anglo-Norman lords establishing territorial control, with the elevated platform providing defensive advantage and a base for wooden or stone structures. The sandstone geology of the site would have provided suitable material for construction, and the drumlin topography afforded both natural drainage and commanding views across the surrounding terrain. The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division as a scheduled ancient monument under reference 6452, recognising its archaeological and historical significance as evidence of medieval settlement and lordship patterns in the region.
Motte is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 6452. View the official record →
Lisburn Motte is a medieval earthwork monument sited in County Antrim on bedrock of the Enler Group, Early Permian sandstone and breccia formations that underlie the drumlin landscape of this region. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 6452.
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 6452.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Farrel's fort. multivallate rath (2.6 km), Drumbo round tower, drumboo. round tower & site of medieval church & pre-norman monastery (3 km), The court. plantation house & bawn (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 Enler Group, bedrock that formed in the Early Permian. The rock here is sandstone and subordinate breccia.