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Rathmore trench is a raised platform rath with a souterrain, situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. This early Christian settlement represents a dwelling type characteristic of early medieval Ireland, comprising an artificial platform that would have supported timber structures surrounded by defensive earthworks. The souterrain—a subterranean stone-lined passage or chamber—served purposes ranging from storage and refuge to ritual function, a feature commonly integrated into raths of this period. The monument sits on bedrock formed from Palaeogene mafic lava and tuff, the volcanic geology underlying much of the Antrim plateau.
The raised construction of the rath exploited the local terrain, creating an elevated stronghold typical of early Christian settlement patterns between the fifth and twelfth centuries. Such raths functioned as the residences of local lords and farming families, with the souterrain providing secure storage for valuables and provisions. The earthen platform would have been crowned by a palisade or bank-and-ditch defence system, demonstrating the status and security concerns of its occupants.
Rathmore trench is protected as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Division reference 3460, safeguarding this important record of early medieval Irish settlement and domestic life within its landscape context.
Rathmore trench. raised or platform rath & souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 3460. View the official record →
Rathmore trench is a raised platform rath with a souterrain, situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 3460.
Rathmore trench. raised or platform 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.
Rathmore trench. raised or platform 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 3460.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mound - motte? (7.5 km), Rath group - univallate rath, counterscarp rath & trivallate rath (8 km), Counterscarp rath (8.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Rathmore trench. raised or platform 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.
Rathmore trench. raised or platform rath & souterrain stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.