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Rath & Souterrain is an early Christian rath and souterrain located in the Newry and Mourne district of Northern Ireland. The monument sits on bedrock of the Hawick Group, a Wenlock-age wacke formation that would have presented considerable challenges to those constructing underground chambers. The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 6133.
A rath was a circular or oval defensive earthwork, typically consisting of one or more bank-and-ditch enclosures, which served as a high-status residential settlement in early medieval Ireland and Northern Ireland. The associated souterrain—an artificial underground passage or chamber—functioned as storage or refuge, characteristic of aristocratic settlements of the period. Such monuments are commonly found throughout the north of Ireland and were occupied during the early Christian period, from roughly the fifth to the twelfth centuries.
The wacke bedrock underlying this site would have required considerable effort to excavate, making the construction of the souterrain a labour-intensive undertaking that underscores the wealth and authority of its owners. The surviving earthworks and underground structures together provide evidence of early medieval settlement patterns and social organisation in this region of Northern Ireland.
Rath & ?souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 6133. View the official record →
Rath & Souterrain is an early Christian rath and souterrain located in the Newry and Mourne district of Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 6133.
Rath & ?souterrain dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a rath & souterrain. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Rath & ?souterrain 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 6133.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath & souterrain (0.8 km), Rath (0.9 km), Rath & souterrain (1.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rath & ?souterrain'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 & ?souterrain stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.