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Raised Rath is a raised rath located in the Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland. The monument survives as an earthen mound constructed over bedrock of Gala Group wacke, a hard sedimentary stone formed during the Telychian period of the Ordovician. This geological foundation would have provided a stable base for the prehistoric settlement, and the elevated position afforded natural drainage on the peninsula's variable terrain. The monument is listed by the Historic Environment Division under reference 6813.
Early Christian raths are characteristic ringfort settlements of early medieval Ireland and Ulster, typically consisting of a raised or level interior platform surrounded by defensive earthwork banks. The raised form at this location would have elevated the settlement surface above the surrounding landscape, improving drainage and potentially offering enhanced visibility across the surrounding countryside. Such monuments generally date to the period between the late first millennium BC and the medieval period, serving as residences for farming families and their livestock.
The Ards location places this rath within an area of significant archaeological heritage. The peninsula's distinctive terrain and coastal situation made it a focal point for settlement throughout prehistory and the early medieval period. The survival of the earthwork, despite modern agricultural use, demonstrates the durability of these monuments. Protection under the Historic Environment Division ensures the monument remains available for future archaeological study and landscape interpretation.
Raised rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 6813. View the official record →
Raised Rath is a raised rath located in the Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 6813.
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.
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 6813.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Curly's fort. raised rath or motte (3.9 km), Raised rath (4.2 km), Motte & bailey (4.3 km).
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:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Raised rath stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.