ANNADORN DOLMEN

Map Reference: J428459

At Annadorn there is a small dolmen. It is very low. Three stones about 60cm high support a large capstone about 65cm thick. According to a description published in 1802 this chamber was originally covered in a cairn about 20m across and was approached by a lintelled passage. If this description is reliable Annadorn seems to have been some sort of passage tomb. However the chamber would have been very low and not typical. Another possible explanation is that the large stones were originally upright supporting the capstone. This would then represent a more typical tripod dolmen. The monument has not been excavated and closer examination is necessary to correctly interpret the remains.

JORDAN'S CASTLE, ARDGLASS

Map Reference: J559372

This 15th century tower-house is the largest of the Co Down group. It is three storeys high with an attic. There is a vault above the ground floor. Twin towers project from the corners of the N wall and the gap is spanned by an arch at roof level. This arch functions as a machicolation. A smaller machicolation at right angles to this protects the door at the base of the W tower. This tower houses a spiral stairway. The E tower has latrines at two levels. The castle was bought in 1911 by the antiquarian Francis Joseph Bigger. He restored and furnished it. It was bequeathed to the State in 1926.

MARGARET'S CASTLE, ARDGLASS

Map Reference: J560371

This 15th century tower-house was at least three storeys high but the upper storey is now fragmentary. It is vaulted above the ground floor. The entrance at ground level in the N wall is protected by a murder-hole. There are northwards projecting turrets at the E and W corners of the N wall. The W turret has a spiral stairway.

COWD CASTLE, ARDGLASS

Map Reference: J561371

This small 15/16 century tower is thought by some to be part of the original town wall. However there is no firm evidence of this. The tower is two storeys high with a doorway in the W wall. A mural stairway rises to the right of the door. There are gun-loops at the ground floor.

AUDLEY'S CASTLE

Map Reference: J578506

This 15th century tower-house was built by the Audley family but passed to the Wards in 1646. It has a prominent position overlooking Strangford Lough and originally sat at the corner of a bawn. Only the foundations of the bawn remain. There are projecting turrets as found in Jordan's Castle and Kilclief Castle. These house a spiral stairway and latrines. They are connected by a machicolation arch at roof level. The castle is three storeys high with a vault above the first floor.

BALLYALTON COURT TOMB

Map Reference: J531443

The court tomb at Ballyalton is surrounded by a thorn and bramble thicket making exploration difficult. Six stone survive from an eastern court. Two of them act as portal stones leading to a two-chambered gallery. Many of the gallery stones survive. The maximum height of any of the stones is about 1m. Excavation in 1933 revealed the fragmentary bones of at least seven individuals and potsherds of at least 20 vessels. These appear to have been rimmed and decorated bowls. The term "Ballyalton ware" was applied for many years to similar vessels from other excavated sites. Numerous worked flints were also found including a lozenge arrowhead, several plano-convex knives and some hollow scrapers.

BALLYLOUGHLIN STANDING STONE

Map Reference: J391342

This large standing stone is set into a roadside fence. It is 3.2m high by 90cm wide and 8cm thick. On the other side of the fence is a smaller stone 1.6m high by 1.4m wide and 80cm thick. The stones are about 1m apart and may be part of a larger structure. There is reference in the past to "10 or 12 pillar stones standing in a circle". This may refer to a true stone circle or the facade of a count tomb. Wateresk Portal Tomb stands a short distance to the NE.

THE GIANT'S RING, BALLYNAHATTY

Map Reference: J327677

This large circular enclosure is about 200m diameter. The bank is about 20m wide and 4m high. Excavation has shown that the bank is built of gravel and small boulders, retained on the inner edge by a revetment of boulders and on the outer edge by a low clay bank. Building material was obtained by skimming the surface of the enclosed area. Flint flaking was carried out in the shelter of the bank soon after its completion. Just to the SE of the centre of the enclosure is a megalithic tomb. Five basalt uprights enclose a polygonal chamber roofed by a single capstone. There are several other large stones but they are not deeply seated and their original position in the structure cannot be determined. Excavations in recent years of the field to the N of the monument have found evidence of several large circular wooden structures which may be associated with the Giant's Ring. They may also represent a major necropolis where excarnation was the main process.

BALLYNOE STONE CIRCLE

Map Reference: J481404

This large stone circle contains at least 50 stones placed close together with several large gaps. They range in size from about 60cm to 1.8m high. The circle is about 34m diameter. Within it is a long, low, oval cairn bounded on the E side by an arc of about 25 low stones and on the E side by a short arc of 5 stones. Excavation uncovered a rectangular stone cist at each end of the mound with cremated bones. Dating evidence is scarce and it is possible that the cairn and the circle may not be contemporary. A Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age date seems likely. There are several outliers, four of which form a rough N-S alignment. A low pair of outliers to the W may also be significant.

BARNMEEN STANDING STONE

Map Reference: J172330

This stone is about 3m high by 1.3m wide at the base. It has a definite shoulder a little above half height.

CASTLE BRIGHT

Map Reference: J507383

This three-storey tower-house was probably constructed in the late 15th or early 16th century. Less than half the structure survives. The E wall and adjoining fragments of the N and S walls stand to roof level but the western portion of the castle has completely disappeared. There are some indications that there may have been a vault above the ground floor. However it would have been very flat and it is possible that it was never completed.

BURREN DOLMEN

Map Reference: J134226

This small tomb has a capstone about 1.8m long by 1.2m wide and 60cm thick supported by two side stones, each about 1.3m long by 70cm high and 60cm thick. The side stones are about 60cm apart. It is known that there were traces of a long cairn extending southwards from the dolmen but all this evidence was removed when a bungalow was built close to the structure. The structure is very similar to Lough Money Dolmen.

CARROWNACAW STANDING STONE

Map Reference: J544464

Carrownacaw Standing Stone is situated a short distance to the east of Loughmoney Dolmen. This stone is about 75cm square and about 3m high. It is inclined slightly towards the south. Excavation in 1955 showed that it tapered to a point below the ground, and that it was set in a socket and tightly packed with chocking stones. Just to the NE of the stone was a ring ditch about 6m diameter. Many worked flints, including arrowheads, were found in the filling of the ditch and in the surface soil surrounding the stone.

CLOUGH CASTLE

Map reference J409403

This is an excellent example of an Anglo-Norman motte and bailey. Excavations have shown that the summit of the motte was surrounded by a timber palisade within which were pits for archers. In the middle of the 13th century a large hall, probably of timber, was built near the E edge of the motte. This was replaced later in the century by a stone tower close to the W edge. Part of this tower remains. It was extended some time in the 15th century to form an L-shaped tower-house. The small kidney-shaped bailey lies to the S of the motte and is separated from it by a 2m deep ditch.

DUNDRUM CASTLE

Map Reference: J404369

Dundrum Castle is situated on a rocky hill overlooking Dundrum Bay. It was started by John de Courcy about 1177. The earliest part is the polygonal upper ward which is surrounded by a substantial rock-cut ditch. The circular keep was begun soon after and the twin-towered gatehouse was completed by the early 13th century. The date of the large lower ward is uncertain. It may be 13/15th century. The keep was repaired in the 15th century. In the 17th century the Blundells built the large house in the lower ward. It remains as an impressive ruin.

DUNNAMAN COURT TOMB

Map Reference: J289151

This monument is classified as a court tomb although there is no evidence of a court. The burial gallery is about 12m long and the jamb stones suggest that there are four chambers. There are no sill stones visible but these may be discovered by excavation. The side stones overlap in a manner seen in some Scottish court tombs. Apart from the large stones there is no surviving cairn material.

GOWARD DOLMEN

Map Reference: J244310

This megalithic tomb is known locally as Cloghmore Cromlech, or Pat Kearney's Big Stone. It has a long rectangular chamber with side stones about 1m high and an end stone about 1.5m high. The enormous capstone has slipped from its original position. The higher end rests on two stones about 1.5m and 2m tall which seem, with other stones, to form a crescentic facade. This type of feature has been found with some other portal tombs and has been suggested, by some scholars, as evidence of a link between portal tombs and court tombs. Excavations in the 19th century uncovered a cremation urn and a flint arrowhead.

GREENCASTLE

Map Reference: J247119

This is a royal castle built in the 13th century. It was attacked and taken several times in the 14th century but still maintained as a garrison for Elizabeth in the 1590s. There is a large rectangular keep with three vaulted chambers at the ground floor. The upper levels contain many mural passages and small chambers. There are small roof turrets at the four corners. Most of the upper storeys were remodelled in the 15th century. The keep was surrounded by a strong wall with corner flankers. Outside of this was a rock-cut ditch which is now partly uncovered.

GREY ABBEY

Map Reference: J583682

The Cistercian Abbey of Jugum Dei, or Mainistir-liath, was founded by Affreca, wife of John de Courcy, in 1193. It was colonised by monks from Holm Cultram in Cumberland. The monastery was dissolved about 1541 but the nave of the church was restored in the 17th century and used as the parish church until 1778. The original cruciform church had an aisle-less nave and a pair of E chapels in each of the transepts. There is a very fine pointed W doorway which probably dates to the middle of the 13th century. There are two tiers of three lancet windows in the E wall of the presbytery. The plan of the monastery is typical of the Cistercians, with the chapter house along the E side of the cloister and the refectory along the S side. There was a range of buildings along the W side of the cloister but there is now no trace of them. The roof of the chapter house was supported by six pillars but only the bases of these remain. The S wall of the refectory has some fine lancet windows and there are traces of a pulpit in the W wall. The warming room was at the NE corner of the refectory. The builders of nearby Rosemount House (1762) could see the gothic ruins from their home, and in keeping with this theme they built a Gothick room in the house and a small Gothick gate lodge.

INCH ABBEY

Map Reference: J477455

The Cistercian Abbey of Inch or Inniscourcy (J477455) was founded by John de Courcy and colonized by monks from Furness in 1187. The site was occupied by the earlier monastery of Inis Cumhscraigh, which was plundered by Vikings in 1002. It is known that this early monastery was surrounded by a large earthwork which was in existence before 800. The presence of this earthwork has been revealed in recent years by aerial photography. The abbey sits on a former island in the Quoile marshes and is approached by a causeway from the north. The ruins show the typical Cistercian layout. A large cruciform church stands to the north of the cloister garth. Along the east of the cloister is a range of buildings including the vestry, chapter house and parlour. Above these may have been the dormitories. To the south was the kitchen and refectory. There do not appear to have been any buildings along the west of the cloister although such buildings are found in some other Cistercian abbeys. The church had two chapels in each of the transepts and a north and south aisle. The walls have been reduced to low level except at the east end. Enough remains to show that the chapels were vaulted and that there was a tower over the choir. There are three large lancet windows in the E wall of the chancel and two such windows in the N and S walls. There are traces of a triple sedilia and a piscina in the S wall of the chancel. None of the carved stone from this area has remained in situ except for the quatrefoil basin of the piscina. There is evidence that there was a fire during the 15th century which may have caused the destruction or demolition of the tower. The transept arches and the first bay of the nave were then enclosed and the west doorway moved to its present position. Only the lower courses of the doorway remain. Presumably the rest of the nave was then abandoned. The cloister was rebuilt in the 15th century and appears to have had ogee arches and dumb-bell piers. To the SW of the main cluster of building are the remains of a bakehouse which had two ovens. Beside this is a well. To the SE is the foundation of a small rectangular building which may have been an infirmary. At some time an oven with a long flue was been inserted into this building.

KILCLIEF CASTLE

Map Reference: J597457

This tower-house was supposedly built by John Sely, Bishop of Down, between 1413 and 1141. It has twin projecting turrets similar to Audley's Castle and Jordan's Castle, with a high machicolation arch spanning the gap. The entrance in the SE turret leads to a spiral stairway. The NE turret has three garderobes and a latrine chute. The castle is vaulted above the ground floor.

KILFEAGHAN DOLMEN

Map Reference: J232154

This portal tomb has a massive capstone estimated to weigh over 30 tonnes. It is supported by five uprights and is set near the N end of a long cairn, some of which may be modern field clearance. The true height of the uprights is masked by the cairn material which has been piled up against them. Partial clearance has shown that the portal stones are about 2.5m high and the side stones are about 1.5m high. Excavations in the early 20th century uncovered bones, pottery and flint scrapers.

KILKEEL DOLMEN

Map Reference: J307149

This small dolmen is known as the Crawtree Stone. Four uprights less than 1m high support a capstone about 1.5m across and less than 1m thick. There is no back stone and the small boulder situated between the portal stones may not be an ancient feature. The dolmen is set within a field bank.

KIRKISTOWN CASTLE

Map Reference: J646580

This tower-house was built in 1622 by Roland Savage although the style of building dates from two centuries earlier. The entrance in the SE is protected by a machicolation. The tower is three storeys high and there is a vault above the first floor. At the beginning of the 19th century the castle was extensively remodelled in the Gothic Revival style. Later in that century massive buttresses were added to the SE face. There are substantial remains of the bawn wall with three-quarter round flanking towers at the corners.

LEGANANNY DOLMEN

Map Reference: J288434

This is the classic tripod dolmen. There is a pair of well matched portal stones about 1.8m high and a back stone about 1.2m high. They support a capstone about 3m long by 1.5m wide and 60cm thick. It has been described as 'coffin shaped'. There is no other visible cairn material.

LOUGHINISLAND CHURCHES

Map Reference: J423454

The old graveyard at Loughinisland occupies a natural island in Loughinisland Lake and now reachable by a modern causeway from the west. The three churches among the graves are of different dates. The Middle Church may date from the 13th century although there is evidence that the walls were refaced at a later date. It was a rectangular gabled structure measuring about 11m by 6m internally. The gables have now fallen and the walls have been reduced to an average 3m high. The south doorway has been largely destroyed with only the base of the jambs remaining. There is a good base batter on the south wall. The North Church probably dates from the 15th or 16th century and it continued in use until 1720 when the roofing materials were removed for re-use in the Church of Ireland building at Seaforde. It measures about 19m by 8m internally with west and south doorways. There is a small lancet window over the west doorway and above this is a small weathered mask. The stone on the inside of the south wall with the long Latin inscription in raised lettering is part of a gravestone. It dates from 1617 although the date is no longer traceable. There is a similar stone to the left of the south doorway but the inscription is no longer legible. The South Church is also called MacCartan's Chapel and was built in 1636. It is a rectangular gabled structure about 7m by 4.5m internally. It has a two-light eat window and small north and south windows. The west doorway has a semicircular head, rising from moulded imposts, with a square architrave framing the arch. There are panelled spandrels bearing the initials P.M.C. and the date 1636. On the gable above the doorway is a carved mask. The gravestones are mainly 19th and 20th century but there are some late 18th century examples. There are many simple gravestones some of which are plain. Others are inscribed with initials and a simple cross, but no date. There are also two large burial vaults, one of which is dated 1835 and 1855.

LOUGH MONEY DOLMEN

Map Reference: J539464

This monument consists of two sidestones supporting a capstone. Each of the sidestones is about 2m long by about 90cm high and 50cm thick. The capstone is about 3m long by 1.5m wide and 60cm thick. The stones are Silurian shale and there are no traces of a covering cairn. The length of the stones and the lack of endstones suggests that this may be the remnants of a lintelled gallery. If this is the case it may be part of a wedge tomb where this type of construction is common. That being so it would be the only example of a wedge tomb in Co Down. However not enough of the monument remains to give evidence of its true nature.

MAYO STANDING STONE

Map Reference: J160266

This is a massive granite boulder over 3m high and about 1.5m wide at the base.

NARROW WATER CASTLE

Map Reference: J127193

This castle was built in the 1560s for an English garrison but was later taken over by the Magennis family. The entrance in the W wall is protected by a machicolation and a murder-hole. A straight stairway rises in the W and N walls to roof level. The tower is three storeys high plus attic. It is vaulted above the first floor. It was extensively renovated in the 1960s when the roof was restored. Most of the bawn wall may be original but the gateway dates from the 19th century when the large house on the opposite side of the road was built.

NENDRUM CASTLE

Map Reference: J524639

This tower house is also known as Mahee Castle and stands near the end of the causeway leading to Mahee Island. It was built in 1570 by Captain Browne. It measures about 12m by 7m externally and the walls are about 1.5 to 2m thick. The doorway is in the NW wall. It is about 1m wide and defended by a murder hole. There is a vault above the ground floor. The castle was apparently originally three storeys high but now stands to only about 7.5m high. There are possible remains of a bawn.

NENDRUM MONASTIC SITE

Map Reference: J524636

This monument, on Mahee Island, is the site of a monastery founded by St Mochaoi in the 5th century. There are references in the annals during the succeeding centuries and in 987 it was burned, probably in a Viking raid. In the late 12th century the Benedictines founded a monastic cell here but by the early 14th century it was abandoned. It remained lost until the 1920s when an extensive excavation revealed the remains of the walls, a church and a Round Tower. The small glacial hill is crowned by three concentric oval walls. Between the outer and the middle wall were found foundations of circular huts and of a rectangular building known as "the schoolhouse". Associated with this building were found many "trial pieces" bearing interlacing and animal carvings similar to those found on the High Crosses and in the illuminated manuscripts. Within the inner monastic wall is the stump of a Round Tower and the low ruins of a small church. This appears to have had a lintelled W doorway although the appearance of the building today owes much to restoration following the 1920s excavations. Fragments of an early sundial were also found and have been re-erected at the SW corner of the church.

PORTAFERRY CASTLE

Map Reference: J593509

This small 16th century tower-house was built by the Savage family. It is a square building with a small projecting turret at the S corner. It is three storeys high plus attic. There is no vault. Most of the eastern corner is ruinous. The entrance at the base of the turret is protected by a small machicolation. Entrance to the ground floor chamber is protected by a murder-hole. A curved stairway within the turret rises to first floor level and a spiral stairway in the W corner continues to roof level.

QUOILE CASTLE

Map Reference: J497470

This late 16th century tower-house is now three storeys high but probably originally had an attic. It stood foursquare until the 20th century when the S angle fell. During the later 20th century extensive renovations were made but the fallen corner was not rebuilt. The entrance in the NE wall leads to a small lobby which was protected by a murder-hole. Beyond this are two vaulted chambers. They have many gun-loops, all at low level. A straight mural stairway rises to the right of the entrance to first floor level. There is another murder-hole at the top of the stairs. There is a fireplace at the first floor level and another straight mural stairway rises within the NW wall to the upper level. There is another fireplace at the second floor level.

ST JOHN'S POINT CHURCH

Map Reference: J528339

This small rectangular church probably dates from the 10th or 11th century. It may mark the site of an early monastery associated with John, Son of Cairland. It has a lintelled west doorway with inclined jambs and there are antae on the E and W walls. The E wall is now reduced to foundations but a mid-19th century description indicated that it had a small pointed window. There is a small S window which would appear to have had a lintelled head. Excavations in 1978 revealed burials under the N wall. At the roadside nearby is a Holy Well and a bullaun stone.

SKETRICK CASTLE

Map Reference: J525625

Sketrick Castle was probably built is the 15th century. The Annals of the Four Masters record its capture in 1470 and it was mentioned several times in the 16th century. It remained fairly intact until the end of the 19th century when half of it collapsed during a storm. The rectangular building stands to its original four storeys only in the NE corner. The entrance in the E wall was protected by a murder-hole. A straight mural stairway rose to the left of the doorway and continued in the S wall to the second floor level. A spiral stairway near the NE corner gave access to the upper levels. There were four chambers on the ground floor. The large chamber in the middle may have been a boat bay. The small windowless chamber at the Ne corner may have been a treasury or a lock-up. There are remains of a bawn wall in the east. Excavations in 1957 revealed a subterranean passage, stone-lined and lintelled, which ran eastwards under the bawn wall to a corbelled chamber, which covered a fresh water spring. The passage is less than 1m high and about 15m long.

STRANGFORD CASTLE

Map Reference: J589498

Strangford Castle was probably originally built in the 15th century but most of the present building dates from the late 16th century. It is a small three-storey building with no vault or stone stairway. The present entrance, in the NE wall, is protected by a machicolation. The original entrance may have been at the first floor. The ground floor chamber is lit only by small gun-loops. The roof has very fine crenellations.

STRUELL WELLS

Map Reference: J513442

The wells and baths at Struell have been visited by pilgrims in search of a cure since before the 16th century, although the name of the site is not ancient. At the NE end of the site is a ruined church which was built about 1750 but probably never completed. It probably replaced an earlier church on the same site. Beside it is the Drinking Well, a circular stone building with a domed stone roof showing impressions of wicker-centering. A stone in the outer wall is carved with a small cross with triangular terminals. The well is fed by the stream which continues through the middle of the site to the Eye Well. This well is covered by a small square building with a very fine corbelled roof. After flowing through the Eye Well the stream divides to feed the bath houses. The Men's Bath House is contained in a rectangular building with a pointed barrel vault covered externally by overlapping courses of heavy stone slates. The Men's Changing Room has a west doorway and occupies the W portion of the bath house. It has stone seats and small square windows. The Men's Bath occupies about half of the eastern portion of the building. It is a deep stone tank fed by a strong flow from a spout. A channel in the S wall of the tank indicates that it had some form of sluice gate which allowed the tank to fill. The Womens Changing room occupies the rest of the building. It has its own entrance in the east. It also has stone seats and small square windows. The Women's Bath House is a small separate rectangular building (now roofless) just to the E of the larger building. Its western doorway is opposite the doorway of the Women's Changing Room. It bath house is fed by a spout about halfway up the wall and the flow continues along a central channel and out under the S wall. The site has been associated with St Patrick for at least 300 years.

WATERESK PORTAL TOMB

Map Reference: J394344

This portal tomb is known as Slidderyford Dolmen. The massive capstone is supported by three uprights. The tallest stone is about 1.8m high and the shorter stones are about 1.3m high. A fourth stone lies under the capstone but does not support it. An early 19th engraving shows another orthostat and possible remains of a cairn. There are now no traces of these extra stones.