PREHISTORIC · STANDING STONE

Standing stone

Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 1461
Period
PREHISTORIC
Site type
STANDING STONE
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 1461
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
D0803223695
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Ballymoney Standing Stone is a prehistoric standing stone situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument stands upon bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lava and tuff formed during volcanic activity in the Paleogene period. This geological foundation of ancient igneous material provides a fitting base for a monument whose own origins lie in prehistoric antiquity. The stone is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 1461.

Standing stones such as this example are among the most enigmatic monuments of prehistoric Britain and Ireland, typically erected during the Neolithic or Bronze Age. Their precise purpose remains uncertain, though they may have served ritual, territorial or commemorative functions within their communities. Ballymoney's standing stone contributes to the broader archaeological landscape of County Antrim, a region rich in prehistoric monuments.

The stone's survival to the present day, despite millennia of environmental exposure and human activity, testifies to both its original construction and subsequent protection. Its location on volcanic bedrock is characteristic of the underlying geology of this part of Northern Ireland, where Palaeogene igneous formations extend across the landscape and influence the distribution of archaeological sites.

Standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 1461. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Standing stone?

Ballymoney Standing Stone is a prehistoric standing stone situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 1461.

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 1461.

What other scheduled monuments are near Standing stone?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Standing stone (0.2 km), Standing stone (0.3 km), Raised rath (2.9 km).

Unlimited access

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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Standing stone report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Standing stone

Standing stone stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.