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Beaghmore Stone Circles is a Bronze Age megalithic complex comprising a ring cairn, stone circle and double alignment of standing stones located near Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The monument occupies upland terrain underlain by Silurian mafic igneous bedrock, which would have presented both challenges and opportunities for Bronze Age builders selecting stone for construction. The site stands within the landscape of the Sperrins foothills, an area rich in prehistoric monuments reflecting sustained ritual and ceremonial use across many centuries.
The complex demonstrates the architectural ambitions of Bronze Age communities, combining multiple monument forms within a single ceremonial precinct. The ring cairn represents a formal burial or ritual deposit, whilst the stone circle and paired alignments suggest a landscape organised for astronomical observation and seasonal gathering. The use of local stone suited to the underlying geology indicates intimate knowledge of the immediate environment and its resources.
The monument is protected as a scheduled historical monument under Historic Environment Division reference 14439, recognising its archaeological and cultural significance. The survival of multiple structural elements provides valuable evidence for understanding Bronze Age religious practice, communal organisation and the relationship between human settlement and the natural landscape in prehistoric Ulster.
Ring cairn, stone circle & double alignment is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14439. View the official record →
Beaghmore Stone Circles is a Bronze Age megalithic complex comprising a ring cairn, stone circle and double alignment of standing stones located near Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 14439.
Ring cairn, stone circle & double alignment dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a megalithic complex. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Ring cairn, stone circle & double alignment 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 14439.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairn (2.8 km), Cairn (2.9 km), Cist & alignment (2.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ring cairn, stone circle & double alignment'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, stone circle & double alignment stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.