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The Gray Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Newry and Mourne, Northern Ireland. The monument stands upon bedrock formed from an unnamed igneous intrusion of Late Silurian to Early Devonian age, composed of felsic rock that crystallised during the Early Devonian period. This geological foundation, part of the region's ancient volcanic heritage, has provided a stable base for the stone across millennia.
Standing stones of this type typically date to the Bronze Age, though their exact chronology remains uncertain. They served varied purposes in prehistoric communities, functioning as territorial markers, burial monuments, or gathering points for ritual activity. The Gray Stone's position within the Newry and Mourne landscape reflects its significance to the people who erected it.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference number 8305, recognising its importance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and belief systems in Ulster. The stone remains a tangible connection to Bronze Age communities and their relationship with the local topography, standing as testament to the enduring presence of human activity across the region's distinctive geological formations.
The gray stone. standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8305. View the official record →
The Gray Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Newry and Mourne, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8305.
The gray stone. standing stone 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.
The gray stone. standing stone 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 8305.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Counterscarp rath (2 km), Kilchow, kilcoo, kilcudua, kilua. church & graveyard (2.3 km), Counterscarp rath & possible souterrain (2.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The gray stone. standing stone'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.
The gray stone. standing stone stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.