UNCERTAIN · RATHPossible

Rath

Cookstown, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 13130
Period
UNCERTAIN
Site type
RATHPossible
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 13130
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
H9282085200
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Rath is a possible rath situated near Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The monument occupies ground underlain by Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lava and tuff formed during intense volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. This geological foundation of ancient igneous material lies beneath the earthwork, which dates to the early medieval period, representing a landscape shaped by processes millions of years apart.

Raths are ringforts characteristic of early medieval Ireland, typically comprising a defended domestic enclosure surrounded by one or more banks and ditches. They served as the residences of farmers and minor nobility between roughly the 5th and 10th centuries. The uncertain classification of this example suggests the earthwork may have been significantly modified or damaged since its original construction, making its original form difficult to determine from surface inspection alone.

The site is protected as a monument of archaeological importance under the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland, registration number 13130. It survives as a landscape feature within the distinctive geological setting of mid-Ulster's Palaeogene volcanic terrain, contributing to understanding of early medieval settlement patterns in the region.

Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 13130. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Rath?

Rath is a possible rath situated near Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 13130.

What period does Rath date from?

Rath dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a rathpossible. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Rath?

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 13130.

What other scheduled monuments are near Rath?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bivallate rath (0.9 km), Counterscarp rath (1.2 km), The moat. mound (2.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Rath

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:

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 Rath

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