Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandColeraineMound, possibly motte
UNCERTAIN · MOUND

Mound, possibly motte

Coleraine, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 11537
Period
UNCERTAIN
Site type
MOUND
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 11537
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
C7501033010
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Mound, Coleraine is a possibly motte situated in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The monument survives as an uncertain earthwork, its original form and date obscured by subsequent landscape changes. It is protected by the Historic Environment Division as a scheduled monument under reference 11537.

The mound rests upon bedrock composed of unnamed extrusive rocks of Palaeogene age, specifically mafic lava and mafic tuff formed during intense volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. This volcanic geology is characteristic of the Antrim plateau region, which would have influenced settlement patterns and land use throughout the medieval period when mottes were typically constructed.

The precise chronology and function of this earthwork remain uncertain without archaeological investigation. If genuinely a motte, it would represent the Norman or early medieval colonisation of the Coleraine area, when such fortified timber-built residences became widespread across Ireland. The lack of clear documentary or archaeological evidence means its role in local defence or territorial control cannot currently be determined.

Mound, possibly motte is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 11537. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Mound, possibly motte?

Mound, Coleraine is a possibly motte situated in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 11537.

What period does Mound, possibly motte date from?

Mound, possibly motte dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Mound, possibly motte?

Mound, possibly 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 11537.

What other scheduled monuments are near Mound, possibly motte?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (1.1 km), Standing stone (3.2 km), Duncethirn, lungern, sconce hill, giant's sconce, dunceithirn. rock fortification (3.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Mound, possibly motte

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Mound, possibly motte'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 Mound, possibly motte

Mound, possibly motte stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.