North Sperrins Heritage Trail

1 North SperrinsHeritage TrailExplore - Discover - EnjoyNorth SperrinsHeritage Trail North SperrinsHeritage Trail North SperrinsHeritage TrailWelcome 05 Carnanbane 07 Court Tomb Aughlish 08 Stone Circles King s Fort 10 Tandragee Fort 11 Gortnamoyagh 12 Inauguration StoneErrigal Old Church 13 Banagher Old Church 14 Dungiven Priory 17 Dungiven Castle 22 Ballydonegan 23 SweathouseDrumcovitt House 24 Tannyranny 25 Church RuinsFeeny 26 Saint Mary s 27 Banagher GAC Places of Worship 28 Banagher Glen 30 General 32 InformationTrail Map 34 & TimelineContentsThis booklet is a guide to the North Sperrins Heritage Trail . It is a guide to the Trail and a companion for visitors that can act as an introduction to the culture and Heritage of the North Sperrins region. North SperrinsHeritage Trail Welcome0405 Acknowledgements: This Trail is a project of Feeny Community Association and Limavady Borough Council.

2 This project was supported by The National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Rural Development Council under the European Structural Funds, Building Sustainability Crown Copyright. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO, Fiona Bryant, Tim Millen, Richard Gillen and Breige O by Discover EnjoyWelcome to the North Sperrins Heritage Trail . The Sperrins area has a rich collection of archaeological sites and a strong cultural Heritage , tales of myths and legends, charms, cures and superstitions. Carnanbane Court TombThis grave is a court tomb or horned cairn, which dates to the early Neolithic period, c3500BC. Court tombs are so called because they incorporate in their structure a ritual roofless court. The area of this court is usually marked by a wall constructed of upright stones. The chambers of court tombs would appear to have been about 2m in height.

3 The cairn covered the chamber and filled the area between the kerbs, the front of the chamber and the court. Court tombs were generally built with their entrances facing east. Of the three hundred and ninety or so known court tombs in Ireland these occur almost exclusively in the northern half of the island!This particular court tomb is located in the townland of Carnanbane, which means little white cairn . The tomb is the remains of a long two chambered grave, the cairn is much grave has two portal stones and a curving fa ade at the North end. The portal stones stand high. The entrance is 55cm wide. The horns are of small stones, long and the other the first chamber is long and broad, separated from the second chamber by jamb stones high, set eccentrically. The second chamber is 3m long and broad. The side walls are formed of long stones on their sides. Some stones have been removed including the end of the chamber.

4 Only one capstone remains and it has fallen into the first chamber. The length of the chambers including the horns is A circle of standing stones 12m in diameter is believed to have surrounded the cists. Court tombs are generally situated on or near fertile ground and Neolithic settlements probably existed in the vicinity of these TYPE Megalithic tomb PERIOD NeolithicOS MAP Sheet 7 GRID REFERENCE C671 058 TOWNLAND CarnanbaneACCESS From lay-byThe Trail has been devised as a driving Trail . It closely follows a section of the North Sperrins Scenic Drive and provides easy access to a number of interesting field monuments and early Christian sites. The route is relaxed and allows visitors the option of completing the entire Trail in one journey or with planned excursions from a central base. You may start your Trail at any point and plan your route to suit your own itinerary. The Trail has been developed to showcase the range of field monuments found across the dramatic North Sperrins landscape.

5 0706 Aughlish Stone Circles An excellent example of late Neolithic stone circles and alignments. The site contains no less than five stone circles and five alignments. Stone circles consist essentially of a circle of stones enclosing an open area. Many of these stone circles have alignments associated with them, these are usually placed tangentially to the circle. Not all the stones are uniform in height and there is a tendency to have one or more taller stones, which may be aligned with the rising or setting sun. Stone circles are found in upland regions and the alignments that accompany them tend to be in areas commanding a wide view and are usually run in a northwest southeast direction. The Aughlish Stone Circles complex is situated on ground sloping gradually down from North to south. The most southerly circle is the most prominent being the most complete. It is in diameter and consists of a total of 42 stones.

6 The perimeter is defined by a continuous line of low set stones on average 35cm high. At the south a tall pillar stone high is set within the perimeter, while at the North a large stone of height is set just outside the line of the perimeter. Within the interior of the circle are placed a number of small stones some of which seem to represent an internal circle. Along the eastern edge of the circle a single row alignment of five stones runs in a North - northwest direction. 25m northwest of the main circle is the partial remains of a smaller circle, which has been bisected from North to south by a stonewall townland TYPE Stone circle and alignments PERIOD Late Neolithic-Early Bronze AgeOS MAP Sheet 7 GRID REFERENCE C662 043 TOWNLAND AughlishACCESS Limited parking along hedgerowThe wall may have indeed been built using stones from this complex as the eastern half of the circle does not survive.

7 Running tangential to the western edge of this circle in a North -south direction is a single alignment of small stones. 15m west of this second circle are the remains of two small circles with a double alignment running between them. This double alignment is 18m long and runs in a northwest-southeast direction. 10m northwest of these is the fifth circle complex. This is oval shaped with the perimeter well defined except at the east where some stones have been removed. The perimeter survives as nineteen stones averaging 20cm in height. Running in a North -south direction to the western arc of this circle is a double alignment. The large row at the east consists of nine stones averaging 50cm in height. The largest stone stands 1metre in height and marks the southern end of the alignment. The small parallel row to the west is marked by five low stones averaging 15cm in height. This double row alignment is perhaps the most significant in the whole complex as it points directly at a natural break in the hilly horizon called Barnes from the Irish meaning gap.

8 The use of these stones has frequently been discussed and it does appear that they were used as observatories or as centres for sun worship. In Celtic times the stone circles were used by the Druids for their own ritual s FortMONUMENT TYPE Rath PERIOD UnknownOS MAP Sheet 8 GRID REFERENCE C744 167 TOWNLAND KilhoyleACCESS Limited parking on Gortnarney RoadVery little is known about the King s Fort. The Fort is a substantial earthen structure overlooking the hamlet of Drumsurn. It is nestled just below the summit of Donald s Hill commanding fine views of the Sperrins . There is evidence that the rath was once surrounded by a protective moat. The earthen enclosure rises steeply in places and may have been planted with gorse, blackthorn and other impenetrable scrub species. The site is very defensive and prominent, suggesting that it was inhabited by important people during the period of history when Ireland was a warrior-led civilisation.

9 Raths were usually linked to other raths and settlements of the same tribe. These were built in turbulent times and often, as is the case here at King s Fort, had moats and souterrains to allow protection and escape from raiders. According to local tradition the stone that can be seen from the fort is known as the witches stone. Legend has it that a local giant, having finally grown tired of being taunted by the witch, lifted this stone and threw it at her burying her underneath it. Benbradagh Mountain stands dominating the landscape from King s Fort, it is 465m high. The mountain is an important geological feature. It is mainly basalt but contains some limestone and significantly it has a rare vein of chalk and Hibernian greensand. The western face is mostly perpendicular and naked rock so cultivation is impossible. The other sides are covered in deep bog. The name Benbradagh has been translated from Benn Bradrudh meaning cliff or hill of the robbers and may point to the area s history of highwaymen and outlaws.

10 However, an alternative name has been suggested; that of Ben Braddan meaning rock of the salmon , which would seem quite possible as the River Roe is a salmon river and the salmon appears on the Coat of Arms of the O Cahan family. TandrageeFortMONUMENT TYPE RathPERIOD UnknownOS MAP Sheet 7 GRID REFERENCE C634 050 TOWNLAND DrumcovittACCESS Through FieldA fine example of a rath, the remains of these field monuments can be seen in their thousands scattered across the Irish countryside. The rath known as Tandragee Fort measures 40m North to south and 30m east to west. At the northeast the bank is earthen and stands at a height of At the North the bank stands at a height of with a width of Some stones are placed on certain sections of the bank reminiscent of a cashel, although it is possible that they may have been placed on the bank at various times in the past. The entrance is at the southeast and measures 2m in width and is well defined with stone blocks.