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The standing stones at Down form the surviving remains of a prehistoric megalithic tomb. Two upright stones continue to mark the site, remnants of a monument that once served as a communal burial place during the Neolithic or Bronze Age. The monument stands on bedrock of the Hawick Group, a wacke formation dating to the Wenlock period, which would have presented a challenging landscape for construction but provided the durable stone from which the tomb was built.
The sparse survival of structural elements suggests that this tomb has been heavily robbed or deliberately dismantled over the centuries, a fate common to many Irish megalithic monuments. The persistence of even these two stones testifies to their substantial size and secure setting into the bedrock beneath. Such monuments typically contained stone-lined burial chambers, though their original form can only be inferred from the remaining uprights.
The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 8473, ensuring the preservation of these stones as evidence of the earliest farming communities to settle this part of Northern Ireland. The monument's location and survival demonstrate the enduring physical presence of these prehistoric structures across the Irish landscape.
Standing stones (2) (remains of megalithic tomb) is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8473. View the official record →
The standing stones at Down form the surviving remains of a prehistoric megalithic tomb. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8473.
Standing stones (2) (remains of megalithic tomb) dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a megalithic tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Standing stones (2) (remains of megalithic tomb) 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 8473.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Slidderyford dolmen. portal tomb (0.3 km), St. cillan's fort. rath (3.2 km), Ballykinler. trench system (ww1)- dhp 307 (3.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Standing stones (2) (remains of megalithic tomb)'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) (remains of megalithic tomb) stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.