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Tober-bile is a prehistoric standing stone located in the Moyle district of Northern Ireland. The monument stands upon bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lavas and tuffs formed during volcanic activity in the Paleogene period, some 66 to 23 million years ago. This geological foundation reflects the distinctive volcanic landscape of the north Antrim plateau that characterises the wider region.
Standing stones such as Tober-bile were erected during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, serving purposes that likely encompassed territorial marking, ritual significance, or commemoration of the dead. The monument's survival in this landscape demonstrates the durability of such stones when positioned on stable volcanic bedrock, which has resisted the erosive forces that removed softer surrounding deposits over millennia.
The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities, Northern Ireland, under reference 599, recognising its archaeological importance as a key monument of prehistoric settlement and ceremonial activity. The standing stone remains a significant marker of human activity during the prehistoric period in this part of County Antrim.
Tober-bile. standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 599. View the official record →
Tober-bile is a prehistoric standing stone located in the Moyle district of Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 599.
Tober-bile. 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.
Tober-bile. 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 599.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cashel with souterrain (2 km), Clough berragh. standing stone, enclosure & house platforms (2.7 km), Tullaghore crosses. crosses (2) (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Tober-bile. 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.
Tober-bile. standing stone stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.