Ballynoe ‘Stone Circle’

This large, complex monument was partly excavated in 1937–1939 but its development and date are still not entirely clear. The site appears now as a large circle of closely spaced stones surrounding an oval mound, and some outlying stones. The east part of the mound has a stone kerb and there is an arc of stones beyond its west end. Excavation uncovered a slab feature with three compartments at the west end of the cairn, which could suggest the court tomb tradition, and a single stone cist at the east end which could point to the passage tomb tradition, but there is no generally accepted interpretation. Cremated remains representing at least seven individuals and some Neolithic pottery were found. Parallels for the outer stone circle with sites in Cumbria have been suggested. The site as we see it today is probably the result of a long development, and a late Neolithic to earlier Bronze Age date-range is likely.

Other historic places you can visit:

• Love Heritage NI