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Stone quay is a post-medieval quay located in Down, Northern Ireland. The structure sits upon bedrock of the Hawick Group, a formation of wacke dating to the Wenlock period, which provides a naturally firm foundation typical of harbour installations in this region. The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 13878.
Post-medieval quays such as this represent vital maritime infrastructure developed during the sixteenth century and later, as Ireland's ports expanded to support trade and commerce. The solid wacke bedrock at this location would have offered practical advantages for construction and stability, allowing builders to establish reliable berthing facilities without extensive excavation or artificial foundations. Many quays of this period were built incrementally, with stone being added and consolidated over time as traffic demands increased.
The quay's survival at this location reflects the permanence of its construction and its continued importance to local maritime activity. Such structures are fundamental to understanding the economic and social networks that connected coastal settlements across the Irish Sea and beyond during the early modern period.
Stone quay is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 13878. View the official record →
Stone quay is a post-medieval quay located in Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 13878.
Stone quay dates from the post-med period, and is classified as a quay. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Stone quay 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 13878.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Navigation pillar (2.9 km), Motte (4.2 km), Raised rath (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Stone quay'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 quay stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.