© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Ring cairn is a prehistoric cairn located near Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument consists of a circular arrangement of stones typical of Bronze Age burial or ceremonial monuments in the region. It stands on bedrock formed from a Palaeogene mafic igneous intrusion, which would have provided stone suitable for cairn construction. The darker volcanic rock exposed across this landscape offered ready material for prehistoric builders working in the area during the second millennium BC.
The cairn's construction reflects the established practices of Bronze Age communities in Ulster, where ring cairns served important functions within the ritual and burial landscape. The choice of location on this igneous outcrop was likely deliberate, as such naturally rocky ground would have facilitated gathering stones whilst also marking the site as prominent within the local topography. The monument's survival to the present day testifies to the durability of stone-built structures.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities under reference 2262. This designation ensures the preservation of this Bronze Age structure and its archaeological context for future study and understanding of prehistoric settlement and ritual practices in the Ballymena area.
Ring cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2262. View the official record →
Ring cairn is a prehistoric cairn located near Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2262.
Ring cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Ring cairn 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 2262.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Counterscarp rath (5.4 km), Ancient field system, including rath & 2 round cairns (c.f. 038 (6.5 km), Grahamstown. mound (6.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ring cairn'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.
Ring cairn stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.