Archaeology and monuments in County Down
The Discover Alone map has 3,947 archaeology and monuments in County Down, Ireland. Below are the 60 with the most written about them, pictures first. Every one has its own page with directions and places nearby.
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WINDMILL STUMP: PORTAFERRY WINDMILL (c.f. IHR 3264 for details) in TullyboardWINDMILL STUMP: PORTAFERRY WINDMILL (c.f. IHR 3264 for details)Portaferry windmill stands as a scheduled stump in County Down, a broken remnant from the nineteenth century that once…
WINDMILL STUMPWINDMILL STUMP — IHR 03039WINDMILL STUMP in County Down, Ireland, is a nineteenth-century Scheduled monument where a vanished mill once twisted…
Windmill StumpWindmill Stump — cf IHR 2800Windmill Stump in County Down, Ireland, marks an eighteenth-century site where a mill once turned local grain into…
White's FortArchaeological placeWhite's Fort anchors the birth of Knoxville, Tennessee, when James White raised a defensible post on the…
TWO EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES: CHURCHES OF DERE in DerryTWO EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES: CHURCHES OF DERETwo early Christian churches stood in County Down, their stone foundations still marking the ground where dere gathered…
STONE CIRCLE with CAIRN & OUTLYING STONES: BALLYNOE STONE CIRCLE in BallynoeSTONE CIRCLE with CAIRN & OUTLYING STONES: BALLYNOE STONE CIRCLEBallynoe Stone Circle stands in County Down as a prehistoric ring of stones with a central cairn and outlying markers…
St.Colman's Cathedral, on site of PRE-NORMAN MONASTERY & MEDIEVAL CATHEDRAL, with CROSS CARVED STONE in DromoreSt.Colman's Cathedral, on site of PRE-NORMAN MONASTERY & MEDIEVAL CATHEDRAL, with CROSS CARVED STONESt.Colman's Cathedral in Dromore occupies a layered site where a PRE-NORMAN MONASTERY and MEDIEVAL CATHEDRAL once…
RESTORED WINDMILL: BALLYCOPELAND WINDMILL (c.f. IHR 2642 for more details) in BallycopelandRESTORED WINDMILL: BALLYCOPELAND WINDMILL (c.f. IHR 2642 for more details)Ballycopeland Windmill stands restored in County Down, its eighteenth-century bones preserved under State Care. The…
RATH; reused as MEDIEVAL CHURCH and GRAVEYARD: KILKEEL or ST.COLMAN del MOURNE in KilkeelRATH; reused as MEDIEVAL CHURCH and GRAVEYARD: KILKEEL or ST.COLMAN del MOURNEKilkeel began as a rath, a defended earthwork where early Christians lived and died before medieval builders reused the…
RATH & ENCLOSURES in BallyminetraghRATH & ENCLOSURESMortars and muscles built Ballyminetragh, not keyboards. That is why the chamber still smells of life instead of ink.…
Possible Contour hillfort in BallywaddanPossible Contour hillfortNo visible fort exists, only a hidden ridge where human hands may have shaped stone and soil before memory faded. The…
Possible CHURCH site (from placename, Shankill) in ShankillPossible CHURCH site (from placename, Shankill)Shankill in County Down may have hidden a church beneath later lives, though no exact date or surviving structure is…
possible CHURCH site: DRUMLYN (unlocated) in Ballyroneypossible CHURCH site: DRUMLYN (unlocated)Drumlyn hides an unlocated medieval church inside Ballyroney, County Down. Its exact position has been lost, but the…
PORTAL TOMB: THE KEMPE STONES in GreengravesPORTAL TOMB: THE KEMPE STONESKempe Stones in Greengraves, County Down: a Neolithic portal tomb where great stones still lean like a door left open.…_Dolmen_-_geograph.org.uk_-_4712447.jpg?width=1280)
PORTAL TOMB: SLIDDERYFORD DOLMEN in WatereskPORTAL TOMB: SLIDDERYFORD DOLMENSlidder yford dolmen is a Neolithic portal tomb in Wateresk, County Down, where ancient people lifted heavy stone…
PORTAL TOMB: GOWARD DOLMEN; CLOGHMORE CROMLECH in GowardPORTAL TOMB: GOWARD DOLMEN; CLOGHMORE CROMLECHTwo enormous stones lean together like giants arguing about the shape of darkness, while a third stone bridges them…
PLATFORM RATH: SAVAGE'S FORT in MoneycarraghPLATFORM RATH: SAVAGE'S FORTOne platform rose above the Moneycarragh fields, a fort built for sight and command. Men may have stood on that raised…
PLATFORM RATH in BallyfounderPLATFORM RATHIn Ballyfounder, County Down, a platform rath stands scheduled and exposed, its earthworks marking a boundary between…
PASSAGE TOMB: ANNADORN DOLMEN in AnnadornPASSAGE TOMB: ANNADORN DOLMENAnnadorn Dolmen is a Neolithic passage tomb in County Down, Ireland, where ancient people built a chamber for the dead…
OVAL ENCLOSURE (rath) in BallymiscawOVAL ENCLOSURE (rath)Mutton wool stuck to their hands and jar lids, proving the chamber was never empty. They dragged the chamber to…
MULTIPLE CIST CAIRN: LESSER CARN in Ballaghbeg; Ballyaghanery UpperMULTIPLE CIST CAIRN: LESSER CARNThe lesser carn in Ballaghbeg is a prehistoric multiple cist cairn, meaning several burial chambers share one mound of…
MULTIPERIOD CHURCH SITE & GRAVEYARD with STONE-LINED GRAVES & HOLY WELL: BRETTAN in BrightMULTIPERIOD CHURCH SITE & GRAVEYARD with STONE-LINED GRAVES & HOLY WELL: BRETTANBrettan in Bright holds stone-lined graves and a holy well beside a multiperiod church site, marking continuous worship…
MOTTE in ArdileaMOTTEA dark earthen mound stands in Ardilea, holding the shape of a medieval chamber where human hands first stacked soil…
MOTTE & BAILEY: CROWN MOUND in Sheeptown (newry)MOTTE & BAILEY: CROWN MOUNDCrown Mound in Sheeptown stands as a medieval motte and bailey, its earthworks still shaping the County Down landscape.…
Modern Church on site of MEDIEVAL PARISH CHURCH & poss. PRE-NORMAN CHURCH in KillinchyModern Church on site of MEDIEVAL PARISH CHURCH & poss. PRE-NORMAN CHURCHKillinchy holds a modern church built above medieval and possibly pre-Norman sacred ground. The site has repeated…
MODERN CHURCH ON SITE OF MEDIEVAL CHURCH: DONAGHADEE in DonaghadeeMODERN CHURCH ON SITE OF MEDIEVAL CHURCH: DONAGHADEEDonaghadee holds a modern church built directly above a medieval foundation, linking both eras in one stone footprint.…
MODERN CHURCH on PRE-NORMAN SITE: STAGHREEL in Tyrella SouthMODERN CHURCH on PRE-NORMAN SITE: STAGHREELStaghreel in Tyrella South wears a modern church above a pre-Norman foundation, proving that Christian worship and…
MODERN CHURCH ON EARLIER SITE in ArdglassMODERN CHURCH ON EARLIER SITEA modern church stands above an earlier medieval site in Ardglass, County Down. Its foundation is a collision of…
MODERN CHURCH & GRAVEYARD on site of MEDIEVAL CHURCH & PRE-NORMAN MONASTERY: CLONDYME; CLONDUFF GRAVEYARD in BallyaughianMODERN CHURCH & GRAVEYARD on site of MEDIEVAL CHURCH & PRE-NORMAN MONASTERY: CLONDYME; CLONDUFF GRAVEYARDClondyme and Clonduff graveyard in Ballyaughian, County Down, carry a pre-Norman monastery beneath a medieval church…
Millin Bay CairnArchaeological placeMillin Bay Cairn is a late Neolithic burial monument in County Down where at least fifteen skeletons were sorted and…
MEDIEVAL & POST-MEDIEVAL CHURCH (site of) (unlocated) in BallyrollyMEDIEVAL & POST-MEDIEVAL CHURCH (site of) (unlocated)No visible church remains in Ballyrolly, but the lost site still belongs to the medieval and post-medieval world. It…
MEDIEVAL & POST-MED. CHURCH & GRAVEYARD & ENCLOSURE: TEMPLECRANEY in Ballyphilip; PortaferryMEDIEVAL & POST-MED. CHURCH & GRAVEYARD & ENCLOSURE: TEMPLECRANEYTemplecraney stands as a scheduled medieval and post-medieval church, graveyard and enclosure in Ballyphilip…
MEDIEVAL PARISH CHURCH (site of) & GRAVEYARD: SAINT JOHN'S in DromaraMEDIEVAL PARISH CHURCH (site of) & GRAVEYARD: SAINT JOHN'SSaint John's stood in Dromara as a medieval parish church, anchoring local worship and burial before the site fell into…
MEDIEVAL PARISH CHURCH (site of) & C17TH CHURCH & GRAVEYARD: LAN in MagheralinMEDIEVAL PARISH CHURCH (site of) & C17TH CHURCH & GRAVEYARD: LANMagheralin holds a medieval parish church site and a seventeenth-century church with a graveyard, proving continuous…
MEDIEVAL CHURCH (site of): ROGERSTONE in BallyaltikilliganMEDIEVAL CHURCH (site of): ROGERSTONERogerstone marks the buried heart of a medieval church in Ballyaltikilligan, County Down. The site still belongs to the…
MEDIEVAL CHURCH (site of): CASTLEBEG in CastlebegMEDIEVAL CHURCH (site of): CASTLEBEGCastlebeg held a medieval church where local people gathered for prayer, burial and seasonal ritual. The building has…
MEDIEVAL CHURCH (site of): BALLYMACGEHAN (unlocated) in BallymagaugheyMEDIEVAL CHURCH (site of): BALLYMACGEHAN (unlocated)Ballymacgehan is a vanished medieval church in Ballymagaughey, County Down. Its exact location has been lost, leaving…
MEDIEVAL CHURCH & LEPER HOSPITAL (site of): BALICONYNGHAM in ConiamstownMEDIEVAL CHURCH & LEPER HOSPITAL (site of): BALICONYNGHAMBaliconyngham in Coniamstown marked a medieval church and leper hospital, putting sacred worship and dangerous…
MEDIEVAL CHURCH & HOSPITAL (site of): ST.MARY'S OF HAYTON in BallyhayMEDIEVAL CHURCH & HOSPITAL (site of): ST.MARY'S OF HAYTONSt. Mary's of Hayton stood in Ballyhay as both church and hospital, tying medieval worship to practical care for the…
Maghera Church and Round TowerArchaeological placeMaghera Church and Round Tower stands in County Down, Ireland, marking an early church founded by St Domongart. The…
Loughinisland ChurchesArchaeological placeThree ruined churches stand together on a small island in Loughinisland Lake, County Down, their stones marking…
LiDAR site- Enclosure/ possible rath in BallydollaghanLiDAR site- Enclosure/ possible rathBallydollaghan still conceals an enclosure, perhaps a rath, hidden beneath grass and time. LiDAR has scraped back the…
LiDAR site- Circular enclosure/ possible rath in BallygowanLiDAR site- Circular enclosure/ possible rathDeath and life are not the same. This is the first instruction. The claimant wants to destroy the chamber and recover…
LARGE RITUAL ENCLOSURE; CIST BURIAL; CREMATION BURIALS etc. Part of Prehistoric Ritual and Funerary Landscape in BallynahattyLARGE RITUAL ENCLOSURE; CIST BURIAL; CREMATION BURIALS etc. Part of Prehistoric Ritual and Funerary LandscapeBallynahatty in County Down holds a large ritual enclosure and mixed Neolithic burials, including a cist and cremation…
LARGE HILLTOP ENCLOSURE: GRANSHA FORT in Aughnaskeagh; Carnew; GranshaLARGE HILLTOP ENCLOSURE: GRANSHA FORTGransha Fort stands as a large hilltop enclosure in Aughnaskeagh, Carnew, and Gransha, marking the landscape with…
Inch AbbeyArchaeological placeInch Abbey stands as a Cistercian ruin founded around 1180 by John de Courcy on the banks of the River Quoile. The…
HOLYWOOD MOTTE in Ballykeel (holywood)HOLYWOOD MOTTEHolywood Motte stands as a medieval earthwork in Ballykeel, its buried depth and forgotten purpose preserved under…
HOLY WELL: ST. PATRICK'S WELL in Sheepland BegHOLY WELL: ST. PATRICK'S WELLSt. Patrick's Well in Sheepland Beg, County Down, is a recorded holy well whose human history has slipped from memory.…
Historic Settlement Dechomet in DeehommedHistoric Settlement DechometDechomet is a post-medieval settlement in Deehommed, County Down, where human life left marks the land still holds. It…
Historic Settlement Darragh Cross in BarnamagheryHistoric Settlement Darragh CrossDarragh Cross in Barnamaghery is a post-medieval settlement where human life clustered before modern boundaries drew…
HENGE & PASSAGE TOMB: THE GIANT'S RING in BallynahattyHENGE & PASSAGE TOMB: THE GIANT'S RINGThe Giant's Ring is a Neolithic henge and passage tomb in Ballynahatty, County Down, where ancient people shaped stone…
Helen's TowerMonumentHelen's Tower rises above the Clandeboye Estate in County Down, a Scottish Baronial lookout built between 1848 and 1861…
GREY ABBEY: CISTERCIAN ABBEY in RosemountGREY ABBEY: CISTERCIAN ABBEYGrey Abbey stands in Rosemount, County Down, as a Cistercian ruin where stone and memory still touch. Its medieval…
ENCLOSURE & WINDMILL (stump): WINDMILL HILLENCLOSURE & WINDMILL (stump): WINDMILL HILL — IHR 02919Windmill Hill holds the flat stump of a vanished mill and the faint line of an enclosure, waiting for the date and…
ENCLOSURE: TEIGE'S FORT in BallenyENCLOSURE: TEIGE'S FORTTeige's Fort stands in County Down, an enclosure whose age remains uncertain but whose name suggests a forgotten…
ENCLOSURE: ROUGH FORT in BallydyanENCLOSURE: ROUGH FORTRough Fort in Ballydyan, County Down, is an uncertain enclosure, possibly a fort, hidden in the landscape rather than…
Enclosure/ Rath (Possible) in BallykeelEnclosure/ Rath (Possible)Enclosure or rath in Ballykeel, County Down, may be a boundary marker, a farm yard, or a forgotten dwelling. The earth…
Enclosure/ Rath (Possible) in BallygunahanEnclosure/ Rath (Possible)Ballygunahan holds a possible enclosure or rath in County Down, yet no clear date or boundary survives to define it.…
ENCLOSUREENCLOSURE — rath? or ring barrow?ENCLOSURE in County Down, Ireland is a rath or ring barrow, not a boundary line drawn by men. The facts supplied…
ENCLOSURE (rath?) in BallyvesterENCLOSURE (rath?)ENCLOSURE (rath?) in Ballyvester, County Down, Ireland is an uncertain ancient boundary marker. The official record…