© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Ballintoy Standing Stone is a standing stone located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 16096. The monument rises from bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—a foundation of mafic lava and mafic tuff formed during the Paleogene period around 66 to 23 million years ago. This dark volcanic geology is characteristic of the Antrim Plateau, which shares the same remote geological origins as similar formations across the Irish Sea.
Standing stones of this type were typically erected during the Neolithic or Bronze Age, functioning as ritual, territorial or burial markers within prehistoric communities. The stone's presence on this particular volcanic bedrock demonstrates how later societies positioned their monuments within pre-existing natural landscapes, selecting prominent locations that may have held spiritual or practical significance.
The monument's survival at grid reference J2213979521 reflects both the durability of the local geology and historical protection efforts. Such stones remain important records of early settlement patterns and belief systems across the north of Ireland, anchoring our understanding of prehistoric life to specific places within the Antrim landscape.
Standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 16096. View the official record →
Ballintoy Standing Stone is a standing stone located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 16096.
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 16096.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The bohill stone, bochell stone, bowhill stone. round cairn & standing stone (5.6 km), Tullyrusk fort. raised rath & plantation fort (6 km), Counterscarp platform rath (6.4 km).
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:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Standing stone stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.