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Spence's Fort is a rath situated in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. A rath is an early Christian Irish fortified residence, typically consisting of a raised earthen platform or mound surrounded by one or more defensive banks and ditches. These structures, which flourished between the 5th and 10th centuries, served as the strongholds of local chieftains and their households. Spence's Fort sits on bedrock composed of mafic lava and tuff from the Paleogene period, ancient volcanic rocks that form the geological foundation of this part of County Antrim.
The fort's location on volcanic bedrock is characteristic of the landscape around Lisburn, where Paleogene extrusive rocks underlie much of the terrain. This geology would have presented particular constraints and opportunities for the original builders, who excavated their ditches and constructed their banks within and upon this harder stone foundation. The resulting earthworks represent the substantial labour investment typical of such elite residences.
Spence's Fort is protected as a scheduled monument under the Historic Environment Division, recorded under reference number 5082. This designation reflects its archaeological significance as a surviving example of early medieval Irish fortified settlement, preserving evidence of the social structures and land use patterns of early Christian Ireland.
Spence's fort. rath is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 5082. View the official record →
Spence's Fort is a rath situated in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 5082.
Spence's fort. 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.
Spence's fort. 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 5082.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bivallate rath (2.4 km), Lagan canal. lagan canal (3.1 km), Batemans land. henge (3.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Spence's fort. 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.
Spence's fort. rath stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.