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Cookstown Mound is a medieval mound located in Cookstown, Northern Ireland. The earthwork rises from bedrock formed of Ordovician to Silurian mafic igneous rock, part of an unnamed intrusion that gives the landscape distinctive geological character. Such mounds were commonly constructed during the medieval period as defensive or administrative centres, their elevated positions providing strategic vantage points across the surrounding terrain. The mound's construction would have exploited the underlying geology, with soil and stone quarried from the immediate locality to build its substantial earthen form.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 14493, reflecting its significance to the archaeological record of medieval settlement in Ulster. Mounds of this type typically served multiple purposes—supporting timber or stone structures, offering defensive advantages, and establishing visible markers of authority within the landscape. The specific geological setting at Cookstown, situated on igneous bedrock, would have influenced both the mound's construction techniques and its preservation. The site contributes to understanding medieval settlement patterns and land use in the region, where such earthworks represent a widespread tradition of mound-building across Ireland and Britain.
The moat. mound is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14493. View the official record →
Cookstown Mound is a medieval mound located in Cookstown, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 14493.
The moat. mound dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
The moat. mound 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 14493.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wedge tomb (2.1 km), Giant's grave. megalithic tomb (2.1 km), Two stone circles, two alignments & cairn (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The moat. mound'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 moat. mound stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.