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Stone Fish Trap, Ards is a stone structure of uncertain date and function, located in County Down in the Ards peninsula. The monument comprises assembled stones forming what may represent a fish trap, though its precise chronology and use remain unconfirmed. Such structures are typically constructed in shallow coastal or tidal waters to channel and contain fish as waters recede, though examples vary considerably in design and effectiveness.
The monument sits on Early Carboniferous limestone bedrock, overlain by claystone and siltstone deposits that characterise this geology of the region. This solid foundation would have provided a stable base for construction, whilst the surrounding landscape's limestone outcrops supplied the stone blocks used in the structure's assembly. The tidal waters and rocky terrain of the Ards peninsula would have made fish trapping a viable subsistence practice in this coastal location.
The site is recorded in the Historic Environment Division's inventory under reference 13458 and benefits from statutory protection. Despite its uncertain attribution, the monument remains an important record of coastal resource exploitation and traditional fishing practices in the Ards. The ambiguity surrounding its dating and function underscores the challenges of interpreting prehistoric and early historic maritime installations without excavation or comparable examples.
Stone fish trap is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 13458. View the official record →
Stone Fish Trap, Ards is a stone structure of uncertain date and function, located in County Down in the Ards peninsula. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 13458.
Stone fish trap dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a fish trap. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Stone fish trap 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 13458.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including 2 portions of quay works and slipway (2.3 km), Nendrum tide mill - see itr record for more details) (2.5 km), Harbour (itr site - see itr files for more info) (2.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Stone fish trap'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.
Stone fish trap stands on Early Carboniferous limestone, bedrock that formed in the Early Carboniferous. The rock here is major:{limestone}, Minor{claystone,siltstone}.