Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandStrabaneTwo stone circles & possible alignment
E.B.A. · STONE CIRCLE COMPLEX

Two stone circles & possible alignment

Strabane, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 14057
Period
E.B.A.
Site type
STONE CIRCLE COMPLEX
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 14057
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
H4926096890
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

The stone circles near Strabane comprise two Bronze Age monuments set on bedrock of Neoproterozoic psammite and semipelite, ancient metamorphic rocks that form part of the underlying Argyll Group. The complex, positioned at grid reference H4926096890, appears to include a possible alignment of stones, suggesting these circles may have held astronomical or ceremonial significance for the Early Bronze Age communities who erected them. Such alignments are characteristic of Bronze Age sacred landscapes across the British Isles, where the positioning of stones frequently related to celestial events or ritual processional routes.

The monument is protected under Historic Environment Division reference 14057, reflecting its archaeological importance as evidence of Bronze Age ritual and settlement patterns in the north-west of the island of Ireland. The local geology of hard metamorphic stone would have determined the size and character of the stones available for the builders, creating a monument distinctly influenced by its immediate landscape. The survival of these circles at Strabane provides insight into the ritual practices and monumental investment of Bronze Age communities in this region during the second millennium BC.

Two stone circles & possible alignment is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14057. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Two stone circles & possible alignment?

The stone circles near Strabane comprise two Bronze Age monuments set on bedrock of Neoproterozoic psammite and semipelite, ancient metamorphic rocks that form part of the underlying Argyll Group. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 14057.

What period does Two stone circles & possible alignment date from?

Two stone circles & possible alignment dates from the e.b.a. period, and is classified as a stone circle complex. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Two stone circles & possible alignment?

Two stone circles & possible alignment 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 14057.

What other scheduled monuments are near Two stone circles & possible alignment?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Giant's grave. wedge tomb & stone circle (2.4 km), Bronze age ceremonial landscape (4.3 km), Two stone circles, cairn with cist & two alignments (5.4 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Two stone circles & possible alignment

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Two stone circles & possible alignment'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 stone circles & possible alignment

Two stone circles & possible alignment stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.