© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
The religious graveyard enclosure is an uncertain earthwork located in Newry and Mourne, Northern Ireland. The site is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 6039. The enclosure lies upon bedrock comprising an unnamed igneous intrusion of felsic rock, formed during the Early Devonian period and exposed at the surface from the Late Silurian to Early Devonian geological sequence. This underlying geology of crystalline igneous material would have presented considerable challenges to those who chose to establish a burial ground at this location.
The earthwork itself remains poorly defined in the modern landscape, its original form and extent uncertain. Such religious enclosures typically date to the medieval period in Ireland and often mark the sites of early monastic communities or ecclesiastical settlements. The graveyard's current archaeological visibility is limited, though its scheduled status reflects its recognised heritage significance and the potential archaeological evidence it may retain.
The monument's survival as an earthwork on felsic bedrock terrain indicates the enduring character of its original construction, which would have fundamentally shaped the labour and methods required during its establishment. Its protection ensures that any future investigation or development at the site will be subject to statutory controls aimed at preserving its archaeological integrity.
The relig. graveyard enclosure is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 6039. View the official record →
The religious graveyard enclosure is an uncertain earthwork located in Newry and Mourne, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 6039.
The relig. graveyard enclosure dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a earthwork. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
The relig. graveyard enclosure 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 6039.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mcpartland's forth. double ringed cashel & souterrain (1.7 km), Cashel (1.9 km), Glasdrumman lough. crannog in glasdrumman lough (4.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The relig. graveyard enclosure'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 relig. graveyard enclosure stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.