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Rath — a e.christ. rath is a small ringfort situated near Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 13199. Raths of this type typically comprise a roughly circular or oval enclosure defined by a bank and external ditch, and would have served as defended domestic settlements during the early Christian period, roughly from the fifth to the twelfth centuries.
The rath is constructed upon bedrock of the Sherwood Sandstone Group, a formation of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Ladinian period of the Triassic. This underlying geology is characteristic of much of the Cookstown area and would have influenced both the construction techniques employed and the drainage properties of the enclosed settlement.
Such raths were typically occupied by families of middling status within early Christian society, serving as farmsteads and administrative centres for small territorial units. Archaeological evidence from similar sites suggests they often contained structures for domestic and agricultural purposes within their defended boundaries. The preservation of this example contributes to understanding the settlement patterns and social organisation of early medieval Ulster.
Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 13199. View the official record →
Rath — a e.christ. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 13199.
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 13199.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Court tomb (1.3 km), Rath (1.3 km), Platform rath (2.4 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 Sherwood Sandstone Group, bedrock that formed in the Ladinian. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.