PREHISTORIC · STANDING STONE

Standing stone

Newry And Mourne, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 8619
Period
PREHISTORIC
Site type
STANDING STONE
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 8619
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
J0742931177
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Newry And Mourne Standing Stone is a prehistoric monolith located in County Down, Northern Ireland. The stone stands within an area of Gala Group bedrock, a wacke formation dating to the Telychian period, which was laid down during the Lower Silurian epoch over 400 million years ago. This ancient geology provided the local stone source from which the monument was fashioned.

The standing stone is situated in the drumlin landscape characteristic of County Down, an area shaped by glacial activity that has left numerous stones in its wake. The monument represents a type of marker or ritual site created during the prehistoric period, though the exact age and purpose remain subjects of archaeological enquiry. Such stones often functioned as territorial markers, ritual focal points or elements within broader ceremonial landscapes.

The standing stone is now protected as a monument of historical importance by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland's Department for Communities, under reference number 8619. The designation recognises its cultural significance as evidence of prehistoric human activity and ritual practice in this region, contributing to understanding of early Irish communities and their relationship with the landscape they inhabited.

Standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8619. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Standing stone?

Newry And Mourne Standing Stone is a prehistoric monolith located in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8619.

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 8619.

What other scheduled monuments are near Standing stone?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Newry canal. newry canal - c.f. ihr 172 & arm 029 (3.6 km), Crown mound. motte & bailey (4.6 km), Bagnal's castle. tower-house (5.2 km).

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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 Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.