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Rath — a e.christ. is an early Christian rath situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Division reference 4473. The site occupies ground underlain by Palaeogene extrusive rocks, comprising mafic lavas and tuffs formed during intense volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. This distinctive geological foundation reflects Antrim's position within the Tertiary basalt plateau that dominates the county's landscape.
Raths are ringforts characteristic of early medieval Ireland, consisting of a circular or oval earthwork enclosure, typically containing domestic structures within a defended perimeter. Dating to the early Christian period, such sites served as the residences of local élites and formed the focal points of their territories. The construction of this rath atop the volcanic bedrock demonstrates how early Christian communities adapted to and utilised Antrim's challenging terrain.
The monument's survival to the present day, despite centuries of agricultural use and development pressure in this intensively farmed region, reflects the robustness of rath earthworks. Its designation within the historic environment protection system ensures the preservation of this significant example of early medieval settlement and defensive architecture, contributing to understanding of early Christian settlement patterns in north-eastern Ireland.
Rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 4473. View the official record →
Rath — a e.christ. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 4473.
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 4473.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bivallate rath (3.9 km), Rath (4.6 km), Counterscarp platform rath (4.9 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.