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Castlereagh Standing Stones are a prehistoric standing stone monument comprising two upright stones located near Castlereagh in Northern Ireland. The monument occupies ground underlain by Palaeogene mafic igneous rock, part of an unnamed intrusion that formed during the early Tertiary period. This local geology has influenced both the stone's character and the landscape's archaeological significance.
The two standing stones represent a form of monument common across northern Britain and Ireland, typically erected during the Neolithic or Bronze Age periods. Such paired stones often marked ritual or territorial significance in prehistoric communities, though the specific purpose of these particular examples remains uncertain. Their survival to the present day reflects their durable construction, though both stones have been subject to the weathering patterns characteristic of this region's climate.
The monument is protected under the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland, registered under reference 6309. This statutory protection recognises the archaeological importance of standing stones as evidence of prehistoric settlement, ritual activity and land use. The site contributes to understanding prehistoric patterns of monument construction and ceremonial practice across the wider landscape of east Belfast.
Standing stones (2) is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 6309. View the official record →
Castlereagh Standing Stones are a prehistoric standing stone monument comprising two upright stones located near Castlereagh in Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 6309.
Standing stones (2) 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 stones (2) 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 6309.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Motte (5.7 km), Deserted settlement (6.2 km), Rath (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Standing stones (2)'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 stones (2) stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.