The King's Stables is an archaeological

Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...

 site in County Armagh

County Armagh

-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. The earthwork known as the King’s Stables is a Scheduled Historic Monument in the townland

Townland

A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...

 of Tray, in Armagh City and District Council

Armagh City and District Council

Armagh City and District Council is a district council in County Armagh in Northern Ireland. It includes the city of Armagh, as well as the surrounding area and its population is about 54,000. City status was officially conferred in 1995...

 area, at grid ref: H8388 4546.

Features

It consists of a boggy hollow, originally an artificial, flat-bottomed pool about 25 metres (82 ft) in diameter, partly surrounded by an earthen bank, about 300 metres (985 ft) north-east of Haughey's Fort

Haughey's Fort

Haughey's Fort is a hill fort in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, 2¼ miles west of the city of Armagh. It is named after the farmer who owned the land it is situated on in the later 19th century...

. It dates to the late Bronze Age

Bronze Age

The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

, ca. 1000 BC, contemporary with Haughey's Fort. Excavations in 1975 discovered clay moulds for bronze leaf-shaped swords, pottery, and items of worked bone and wood. Also found were 214 animal bones and a human skull.

Name

The name is probably related to a local tradition that the ancient kings of Ulster

Ulaid

The Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...

 watered their horses and washed their chariots in the pool.
The same name has been given to Milecastle 48

Milecastle 48

Milecastle 48 , one of the milecastles on Hadrian's Wall, is situated in the village of Gilsland in Cumbria immediately adjacent to the Tyne Valley Line...

on Hadrian's Wall; in this case the layout of the walls is reminiscent of stables.