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The Danes Cast (North) is a prehistoric linear earthwork located in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Linear earthworks of this type, consisting of substantial banks and ditches running across the landscape, were typically constructed during the Iron Age, though some may have earlier origins. The monument sits on bedrock of the Gala Group, a wacke formation dating to the Telychian period, which would have influenced both the character of the local soil and the effort required for its construction. The underlying geology of slate and graywacke provides a firm foundation across the Armagh landscape.
The earthwork forms part of a broader system of linear divisions that characterise the prehistoric landscape of Ulster. Such monuments likely served multiple functions: demarcating territorial boundaries, controlling stock movement, and defining zones of settlement or ritual significance. The substantial nature of the construction suggests considerable labour investment and community organisation.
The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 5638, recognising its archaeological importance. The Danes Cast (North) remains a significant marker of Iron Age land management and social organisation in the region, though its precise chronology and original extent continue to merit further investigation.
The danes cast, the danes cast (north). linear earthwork is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 5638. View the official record →
The Danes Cast (North) is a prehistoric linear earthwork located in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 5638.
The danes cast, the danes cast (north). linear earthwork dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a linear earthwork. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
The danes cast, the danes cast (north). linear earthwork 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 5638.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The danes cast, the danes cast (north). linear earthwork (2.6 km), Rath reused as tree ring (2.7 km), Vicar's cairn, vicer's carn, the monk's cairn, carnavanaghan, cairnamnhanaghan, carn-na-vanachan, vicar's carn. passage tomb (2.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The danes cast, the danes cast (north). linear earthwork'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.
The danes cast, the danes cast (north). linear earthwork stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.