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Trench is a revetted mound and boundary ditch located near Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument sits on bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—primarily mafic lava and tuff formed during volcanic activity in the early Tertiary period. This ancient geological foundation has provided a stable base for what is believed to be an uncertain mound, possibly constructed during the medieval or early modern period, though the precise chronology remains undetermined.
The earthwork comprises a substantial mound retained by a stone or timber facing, with an associated boundary ditch that may have served defensive, territorial or ceremonial purposes. The revetment technique suggests deliberate engineering to stabilise or reinforce the mound against erosion and collapse. Such structures were characteristic of ringforts, fortified enclosures and settlement boundaries across medieval Ireland and Ulster.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities under designation 2647. Its location on volcanic bedrock near Ballymena positions it within a landscape shaped by Tertiary geology, where similar earthworks may relate to patterns of medieval settlement and land organisation in the region. Further archaeological investigation would be necessary to clarify the monument's date, function and cultural significance.
Trench. revetted mound & boundary ditch is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2647. View the official record →
Trench is a revetted mound and boundary ditch located near Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2647.
Trench. revetted mound & boundary ditch dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Trench. revetted mound & boundary ditch 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 2647.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (5.7 km), Rath (5.9 km), Mound - motte? (6.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Trench. revetted mound & boundary ditch'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.
Trench. revetted mound & boundary ditch stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.