PREHISTORIC · STANDING STONE

Standing stone

Antrim, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 2721
Period
PREHISTORIC
Site type
STANDING STONE
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 2721
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
J0593394023
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

# Standing Stone, Antrim

Standing Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It stands upon bedrock formed from Palaeogene extrusive rocks—ancient mafic lava and tuff deposits laid down during the Paleogene period, some 66 to 23 million years ago. This geological foundation is part of the distinctive volcanic geology of the Antrim plateau, which shaped the landscape in which prehistoric communities erected their monuments.

As an upright stone marker, this monument belongs to a tradition of standing stone construction that extends across the British Isles and into prehistoric Europe, typically dating to the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. Such stones served various functions within their communities, from territorial markers and ritual focal points to astronomical alignments or burial monuments. The stone's survival to the present day reflects both its physical durability and its cultural significance to successive generations of inhabitants.

The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 2721, recognising its importance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and belief systems in Antrim. The standing stone remains a prominent feature of the local landscape, offering present-day visitors a tangible connection to the pre-recorded past and the communities who shaped the Antrim countryside over four thousand years ago.

Standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2721. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Standing stone?

# Standing Stone, Antrim Standing Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2721.

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 2721.

What other scheduled monuments are near Standing stone?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Counterscarp rath (3.4 km), Rath (5 km), Motte (6.4 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.
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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 Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.