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The Standing Stone at Ards is a prehistoric monument consisting of an upright stone pillar set in landscape dominated by Gala Group bedrock of Telychian age. This ancient wacke formation, which underlies the site, has weathered over hundreds of millions of years to create the rolling terrain characteristic of this part of Northern Ireland. Standing stones such as this were typically erected during the Neolithic or Bronze Age, though the precise date of this particular monument remains unknown.
The stone stands as a solitary marker in the Ards landscape, a position common to standing stones of the British Isles. Such monuments may have served ceremonial, territorial or commemorative functions within prehistoric communities, though their original purposes remain subjects of archaeological debate. The exposed bedrock nearby would have provided a ready source of stone for prehistoric peoples working in the area.
The Standing Stone at Ards is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 6837, recognising its significance as evidence of prehistoric activity in County Down. The monument contributes to our understanding of the distribution and character of standing stones across the region, and of the ways in which prehistoric communities engaged with and shaped their natural environment.
Standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 6837. View the official record →
The Standing Stone at Ards is a prehistoric monument consisting of an upright stone pillar set in landscape dominated by Gala Group bedrock of Telychian age. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 6837.
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 6837.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Motte (0.1 km), Kircubbin harbour. quay, slipway and mooring (5.1 km), Stone fish trap (5.3 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 Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.