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The Standing Stone at Coleraine is a prehistoric standing stone protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 441. Located in County Londonderry, the stone rises from bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lava and tuff formed during volcanic activity in the Paleogene period, around 66 to 23 million years ago. This ancient geological foundation provided a stable base for the monument's erection in prehistory.
Standing stones represent one of the most enduring forms of megalithic monument across the British Isles, typically raised during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. These solitary stones served varied purposes within prehistoric communities, functioning as territorial markers, burial monuments, astronomical alignments, or waymarkers along ancient routes and gathering places.
The Coleraine stone's specific purpose remains embedded in the local landscape and geological setting. Its survival into the modern era reflects both the durability of its stone and its significance to successive communities across millennia. The monument contributes to the rich prehistoric archaeological heritage of the north-east coast of Ireland, where standing stones cluster in meaningful patterns across the terrain.
Standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 441. View the official record →
The Standing Stone at Coleraine is a prehistoric standing stone protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 441.
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.
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 441.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ballywillin. church & graveyard (0.6 km), Dunmull. hillfort, bullaun and well (2.5 km), Druid's altar, gigmagog's grave. wedge tomb (3.7 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.