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Beaghmore Stone Circles is a prehistoric stone circle complex comprising three circles and six linear stone alignments located near Magherafelt in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The monuments occupy open moorland underlain by Ordovician extrusive rocks—mafic lava and tuff formed over 450 million years ago—which provided the stone used in their construction. The site is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference HEX12961.
The three circles vary in diameter and degree of preservation, their low stones still marking the positions chosen by their Bronze Age builders across the undulating terrain. The six alignments radiate outward and between the circles in straight lines, their purpose uncertain but suggesting cosmological or ceremonial significance beyond simple burial monuments. Such arrangements are relatively rare in the British Isles, making this complex distinctive among regional prehistoric sites.
The bleakness of the moorland setting would have been familiar to the communities who raised these stones between approximately 2000 and 1000 BC. The visible remains represent considerable labour invested in moving and placing stone, whilst the alignments and multiple circles suggest repeated use and ritual importance across several generations. The site remains substantially intact and visible today, offering direct evidence of prehistoric ceremonial practice in the landscape.
Three stone circles & six alignments is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 12961. View the official record →
Beaghmore Stone Circles is a prehistoric stone circle complex comprising three circles and six linear stone alignments located near Magherafelt in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 12961.
Three stone circles & six alignments dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a stone circle complex. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Three stone circles & six alignments 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 12961.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wedge tomb (1.8 km), Two stone circles, two alignments & cairn (2.4 km), The moat. mound (3.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Three stone circles & six alignments'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.
Three stone circles & six alignments stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Ordovician, bedrock that formed in the Ordovician. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.