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Ballygraffan dolmen is a chambered tomb situated in the Ards peninsula of County Down. This prehistoric megalithic monument belongs to a tradition of communal burial that flourished across Ireland and Britain during the Neolithic period. The dolmen comprises large stone slabs arranged to form an internal burial chamber, a construction method that reflects the monumental ambitions and social organisation of early farming communities.
The monument stands upon bedrock of the Gala Group, a wacke formation laid down during the Telychian period of the Ordovician. This ancient geology has weathered to create the landscape of the Ards, a peninsula known for its scattered megalithic heritage. The specific character of the local stone may have influenced the choice of this location and the availability of materials used in the dolmen's construction.
Ballygraffan dolmen is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland, recognising its significance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and burial practice. The site remains a tangible link to the Neolithic communities who shaped the landscape of the Ards over five thousand years ago, their engineering and ceremonial practices preserved in stone.
Ballygraffan dolmen. chambered tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 6510. View the official record →
Ballygraffan dolmen is a chambered tomb situated in the Ards peninsula of County Down. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 6510.
Ballygraffan dolmen. chambered tomb dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a megalithic tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Ballygraffan dolmen. chambered tomb 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 6510.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bivallate rath & possible souterrain (2.2 km), Trivallate rath (4.2 km), Stone fish trap (4.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ballygraffan dolmen. chambered tomb'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.
Ballygraffan dolmen. chambered tomb stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.