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Two cross-carved stones at Newry and Mourne is a monument comprising two stones bearing carved crosses, protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division. The stones stand on bedrock of Gala Group wacke, a fine-grained sedimentary rock laid down during the Telychian period of the Silurian geological epoch. This substantial, durable stone would have been readily available in the immediate locality, making it a practical choice for monumental carving in this period.
Cross-carved stones of this type are characteristic of early medieval religious activity across Ireland and Britain, typically dating from the 5th to 10th centuries. They often mark sacred sites, burial grounds or sites of pastoral significance, though their precise original contexts are frequently uncertain. The presence of two stones together suggests this may have been a focus of particular religious or community importance in the early medieval landscape.
The monument's location in the Newry and Mourne area reflects the region's position within the broader early medieval ecclesiastical network of the north of Ireland. The scheduled monument designation recognises the archaeological importance of these carved stones as evidence of the cultural and spiritual life of early medieval communities in this part of Ulster, preserving them for study and public access.
Two cross-carved stones is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 5997. View the official record →
Two cross-carved stones at Newry and Mourne is a monument comprising two stones bearing carved crosses, protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 5997.
Two cross-carved stones dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Two cross-carved stones 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 5997.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Lisleitrim fort. multivallate rath & souterrain (3.5 km), Lisleitrim lough. crannog in lisleitrim lough (4.1 km), The dorsy entrenchment, the dorsey entrenchment. large earthwork enclosure (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Two cross-carved stones'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.
Two cross-carved stones stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.