Lissanduff Earthworks

There are two large earthworks, each with a central enclosure and a surrounding bank, and with a wide space between these banks. The smaller (north-east) enclosure is now incomplete along its north-west edge where a large early 19th-century house once stood, and an outhouse still survives on the line of the inner bank. Both enclosing banks are circular and are high, the inner face of the inner one being particularly steep, in places revetted with brick from the use of the area as a garden in the 19th century. The larger (south-west) earthwork has a roughly circular inner enclosure surrounded by an irregularly oval outer bank. The whole area is damp but, in particular, the inner enclosure was built around a natural spring. Both the date and the purpose of this site remain a puzzle. The earthworks are certainly not ‘ordinary’ raths and it is tempting to suggest a ritual function associated with the spring and a prehistoric date, but further research is needed to unlock the secrets of these enigmatic enclosures.

Other historic places you can visit:

• Love Heritage NI