PREHISTORIC · STANDING STONE

Standing stone

Limavady, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 12286
Period
PREHISTORIC
Site type
STANDING STONE
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 12286
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
C6942008440
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

The standing stone at Limavady is a prehistoric monument of regional significance, located in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Designated for protection by the Historic Environment Division under reference 12286, the stone represents a monument type that appears throughout the Irish landscape, typically erected during the Neolithic or Bronze Age periods. Such stones served varied purposes within their communities, functioning as territorial markers, ritual foci, or commemorative monuments.

The monument stands upon bedrock of the Argyll Group formation, a Neoproterozoic sequence composed of marble and meta-limestone. These metamorphic rocks, originally formed as sedimentary deposits over 600 million years ago, have been subjected to intense pressure and heat, resulting in their crystalline character. The local geology would have presented specific constraints and opportunities for the prehistoric communities who selected and positioned this stone.

The Limavady standing stone remains an important record of early settlement patterns and cultural practices in the region. As one element within the broader landscape of prehistoric monuments across Northern Ireland, it contributes to our understanding of how ancient communities organised their territory and expressed their relationship to place. Its survival into the modern period provides continuity with the deep past of the Londonderry area.

Standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12286. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Standing stone?

The standing stone at Limavady is a prehistoric monument of regional significance, located in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12286.

What period does Standing stone date from?

Standing stone dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Standing stone?

Standing stone 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 12286.

What other scheduled monuments are near Standing stone?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (2.5 km), Black fort. rath (2.9 km), Possible portal tomb (3.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Standing stone

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Standing stone's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman World
Ireland was never conquered by Rome, so this traces the island's Iron Age kingdoms and its contact with the Roman world.
Historic Records
The 19th-century records of this place: valuations, Ordnance Survey memoirs and topographical accounts.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Standing stone

Standing stone stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is marble, meta-limestone.