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Beaghmore Stone Circle Complex is a prehistoric stone circle monument located near Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The site comprises two distinct stone circles, two stone alignments and a cairn, representing one of the most elaborate arrangements of ritual monuments in the region. The stones are set upon bedrock of Ordovician mafic lava and tuff, ancient volcanic rock that forms the underlying geology of this upland landscape.
The two circles stand at the heart of the complex, with the alignments extending outward in linear patterns typical of Bronze Age ceremonial sites. Such arrangements suggest the monument served multiple ritual or astronomical functions during its period of use. The cairn, a mound of gathered stones, may represent a burial monument or mark a sacred focal point within the wider complex. The interrelationship of these elements indicates sustained ceremonial activity across the site over time.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Northern Ireland Executive under reference 13100, recognising its archaeological and heritage significance. Though the precise dates of construction and use remain undetermined without excavation, the architectural style and form place the complex within the Bronze Age period. The site preserves important evidence of prehistoric ritual practice and settlement patterns in the Ulster uplands.
Two stone circles, two alignments & cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 13100. View the official record →
Beaghmore Stone Circle Complex is a prehistoric stone circle monument located near Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 13100.
Two stone circles, two alignments & cairn 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.
Two stone circles, two alignments & cairn 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 13100.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wedge tomb (0.9 km), Giant's grave. megalithic tomb (2.3 km), Three stone circles & six alignments (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Two stone circles, two alignments & cairn'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 stone circles, two alignments & cairn stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Ordovician, bedrock that formed in the Ordovician. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.