Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandNewry And MourneStone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site
NEOLITHIC · MEGALITHIC TOMB

Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site

Newry And Mourne, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 8777
Period
NEOLITHIC
Site type
MEGALITHIC TOMB
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 8777
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
J2374029640
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Newry And Mourne Stone Circle is a Neolithic megalithic monument comprising a stone circle and court tomb, situated in the rolling terrain of County Down. The site rests on bedrock of the Hawick Group, a Wenlock-age wacke formation that has weathered to create the stony landscape characteristic of this region. The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference number 8777.

The court tomb represents a form of communal burial architecture typical of Neolithic communities in Ulster, dating from around 4000 to 3000 BCE. Court tombs are distinctive Irish megalithic structures, featuring a central court or forecourt leading to one or more burial chambers constructed from massive stone slabs and covered by cairn material. The adjacent stone circle reflects the continued ritual significance of the location during later prehistoric periods.

Iron Age occupation at the site indicates that this location retained importance as a focal point for settlement and activity well into the first millennium BCE. The stratification of Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age activity demonstrates how certain prominent landscape positions continued to attract human communities across millennia, serving religious, commemorative and domestic functions.

Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8777. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site?

Newry And Mourne Stone Circle is a Neolithic megalithic monument comprising a stone circle and court tomb, situated in the rolling terrain of County Down. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8777.

What period does Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site date from?

Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a megalithic tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site?

Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site 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 8777.

What other scheduled monuments are near Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ballymaghery motte. motte? or raised rath? (1.7 km), Enclosure, possibly horizontal mill (3.4 km), Counterscarp rath & possible souterrain (3.7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site'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 Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site

Stone circle. court tomb & iron age occupation site stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.