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Rath — a e.christ. rath is an early Christian earthwork monument located near Limavady in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It occupies land underlain by Palaeogene extrusive rocks, principally mafic lava and tuff from the intense volcanic activity that shaped the north of Ireland some 60 million years ago. These ancient basaltic deposits form the bedrock foundation upon which this monastic settlement was established during the early medieval period.
The rath represents a type of ringfort settlement that flourished in early Christian Ireland, typically enclosed by a bank and ditch to define its sacred and domestic space. Such sites served as focal points for monastic communities, housing monks, their workshops, and religious buildings within the protective earthwork. The specific topography and geology of this location would have influenced both the construction techniques used and the site's suitability for settlement.
The monument is protected as a scheduled historic monument under Historic Environment Division reference 11528, recognising its significance to the cultural heritage of Northern Ireland. The site at grid reference C7110028050 survives as a tangible record of early Christian occupation and monastic practice in the region, embedded within a landscape shaped by both ancient volcanism and medieval land use.
Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 11528. View the official record →
Rath — a e.christ. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 11528.
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.
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 11528.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Well glass spring. wedge tomb (1.9 km), Rath (2.6 km), Sweat house (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of 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.
Rath stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.