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Souterrain near Newry And Mourne is an early Christian underground passage typical of late Iron Age and early medieval settlement sites across Ireland and northern Britain. These stone-lined chambers served defensive, storage or ritual purposes, and this example lies upon bedrock of the Gala Group, a wacke formation laid down during the Telychian period of the Silurian era. The stable geology of this locality would have made it suitable for the excavation and construction of such a structure.
Early Christian souterrains are thought to have been built or reused between the 5th and 10th centuries, often forming part of enclosed settlements or homesteads. The underground nature of such works provided secure storage for valuables and food supplies, whilst also offering refuge during times of unrest. The construction technique—stone-lining the walls and roof of a chamber reached by a descending passage—required considerable labour and engineering skill.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities, Northern Ireland, under reference 5925, recognising its archaeological and historical significance as evidence of early medieval settlement patterns and building practices in the region.
Souterrain is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 5925. View the official record →
Souterrain near Newry And Mourne is an early Christian underground passage typical of late Iron Age and early medieval settlement sites across Ireland and northern Britain. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 5925.
Souterrain dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a souterrain. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
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 5925.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Drumilly fort. rath (2.1 km), Lissaraw fort. bivallate rath & possible souterrain (3.1 km), The long stones. cashel and portal tomb (4.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of 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.
Souterrain stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.