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Antrim Mound is a medieval mound, possibly a motte, located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 3546. The mound rises from bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lava and mafic tuff formed during the Palaeogene period, which provides a stable geological foundation typical of the basaltic landscape of this region.
The site's form suggests it may represent a motte, the earthen castle mound common to Anglo-Norman and later medieval settlement in Ireland from the twelfth century onwards. Such mounds typically served as the defensive core of early medieval strongholds, with timber palisades crowning their summits and often accompanied by associated baileys or ditches. The geological substrate of volcanic rock would have presented challenges to excavation, making the construction of this mound a significant undertaking.
The monument survives as a landscape feature reflecting patterns of medieval land use and fortification in the Ulster region. Its exact chronology and original form remain to be established through detailed archaeological investigation, though its morphology and location within the Antrim landscape place it within the wider context of medieval settlement and control in Northern Ireland.
Mound - motte? is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 3546. View the official record →
Antrim Mound is a medieval mound, possibly a motte, located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 3546.
Mound - motte? dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Mound - 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 3546.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bullock fort. rath (4 km), Barrow (4.7 km), Killede, killelagh, dalnach?. church & bullaun (6.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Mound - 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.
Mound - motte? stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.