E.CHRIST. · RATH

Raised rath

Lisburn, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 6684
Period
E.CHRIST.
Site type
RATH
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 6684
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
J2628062850
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Lisburn Rath is a raised rath of early Christian date, located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument stands on bedrock of the Belfast Group, formed during the Late Permian period and composed of interbedded sandstone and limestone, which would have influenced both the construction and drainage characteristics of the earthwork. The rath's elevated form—a distinctive feature of this monument type—would have provided defensive advantage and visibility across the surrounding landscape, typical of high-status settlement sites of the early medieval period. Such raised structures often exploited natural topography or were artificially built up, and the local geology may have contributed useful building materials. The site is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference number 6684, reflecting its archaeological and historical significance as evidence of early Christian settlement patterns and social organisation in the wider Lisburn area.

Raised rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 6684. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Raised rath?

Lisburn Rath is a raised rath of early Christian date, located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 6684.

What period does Raised rath date from?

Raised rath dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a rath. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Raised rath?

Raised rath 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 6684.

What other scheduled monuments are near Raised rath?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ballintine rath. rath (0.4 km), Todd's grove. bivallate rath (2.1 km), Raf long kesh. bellman hangars, airfield & wwii defensive features including pillbox and blast shelters, [dhp.no.71] (3.9 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Raised rath

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Raised rath'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 Raised rath

Raised rath stands on Belfast Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Permian. The rock here is sandstone and [subequal/subordinate] limestone, interbedded.