King's Stables

The King’s Stables is an ancient earthwork in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It sits in a low boggy hollow about 300 metres north-east of Haughey’s Fort. The flat-bottomed pool measures roughly 25 metres across and is partly ringed by an earthen bank. Radiocarbon dating places the site in the late Bronze Age, around 1000 BC. Excavations in 1975 uncovered bronze-working debris and human remains, including a skull and animal bones. Local tradition holds that Ulster’s kings once watered their horses and washed their chariots here. The name also appears at Milecastle 48 on Hadrian’s Wall, where the stone walls resemble stables. Artefacts found include clay moulds for leaf-shaped swords, pottery fragments, and worked bone and wood. The site shares its date with nearby Haughey’s Fort, suggesting a shared ceremonial purpose. Visitors find a quiet grassy enclosure with little visible stonework. The hollow holds water after rain, echoing its ancient function. Nearby Haughey’s Fort offers further Bronze Age remains to explore. The surrounding countryside is flat and rural, giving a sense of isolation. The site is recognised as a Scheduled Historic Monument, protected for future study.