NEOLITHIC · MEGALITHIC TOMB

Possible court tomb

Limavady, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 12636
Period
NEOLITHIC
Site type
MEGALITHIC TOMB
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 12636
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
C6853005410
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Possible court tomb, Limavady is a Neolithic megalithic monument situated in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The site lies upon bedrock of the Argyll Group, a Neoproterozoic formation comprising psammite, semipelite and pelite—metamorphosed sedimentary rocks that underlie much of this region. Court tombs are characteristic of Ireland's earliest farming communities, typically dating to the fourth millennium BC, and are distinguished by their trapezoidal forecourt leading to one or more burial galleries constructed from stone.

The monument at Limavady exemplifies this Neolithic tradition of communal burial architecture. The underlying geology of psammite and related metamorphic stones would have provided suitable material for construction, though the specific dimensions and state of preservation of this tomb are products of its particular location and post-Neolithic history. Such monuments commonly contained multiple burials, often accompanied by pottery and flint tools, testifying to the ritual and domestic practices of early farming societies.

The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities under reference number 12636, securing its status as an important archaeological resource and landscape feature. Its survival represents a rare physical link to the Neolithic settlement and cultural practices of prehistoric northern Ireland.

Possible court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12636. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Possible court tomb?

Possible court tomb, Limavady is a Neolithic megalithic monument situated in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12636.

What period does Possible court tomb date from?

Possible court tomb dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a megalithic tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Possible court tomb?

Possible court tomb 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 12636.

What other scheduled monuments are near Possible court tomb?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Possible portal tomb (0.1 km), Court tomb (1.5 km), Altnaheglish reservoir. reservoir dam (1.7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Possible court tomb

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Possible court tomb'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 Possible court tomb

Possible court tomb stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.