PREHISTORIC · STANDING STONE

Two standing stones

Banbridge, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 7938
Period
PREHISTORIC
Site type
STANDING STONE
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 7938
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
J2538039980
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

Two Standing Stones, Banbridge is a prehistoric standing stone monument located in County Down, Northern Ireland. The site comprises two upright stones set within a landscape underlain by a felsic igneous intrusion of Late Silurian to Early Devonian age. This bedrock composition, formed during the Early Devonian period, has shaped the local geology and would have been familiar to the prehistoric communities who erected these monuments.

Standing stones of this type typically date to the Bronze Age, though some may be earlier. They were commonly used as territorial markers, gathering points, or ritual monuments within their communities. The two stones at Banbridge represent a form of prehistoric monumental architecture found throughout Ireland, though their specific purpose remains uncertain. Such monuments often held enduring significance within the landscape, sometimes remaining central to local awareness and use across many centuries.

The site at Banbridge is recorded under Historic Environment Division reference number 7938 and receives statutory protection. The surrounding terrain continues to reflect the underlying igneous geology, which would have presented both opportunities and constraints to the people who selected this location for their standing stones during prehistoric times.

Two standing stones is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 7938. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Two standing stones?

Two Standing Stones, Banbridge is a prehistoric standing stone monument located in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 7938.

What period does Two standing stones date from?

Two standing stones 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Two standing stones?

Two standing 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 7938.

What other scheduled monuments are near Two standing stones?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Standing stone (4.1 km), Large platform enclosure (4.3 km), Big fort. rath & souterrain (4.7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Two standing stones

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Two standing stones's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman World
Ireland was never conquered by Rome, so this traces the island's Iron Age kingdoms and its contact with the Roman world.
Historic Records
The 19th-century records of this place: valuations, Ordnance Survey memoirs and topographical accounts.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Two standing stones

Two standing stones stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.