Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Family, home and community
  3. Family history, heritage and museums

Historic buildings and monuments

Buildings of special architectural and/or historic interest are ‘listed’ to protect the best of Northern Ireland's architectural heritage for future generations. Historic monuments help historians to map human settlement from 7,000 BC to the 20th century and includes castles, forts and ruins.

COVID-19 update on sites you can visit

For a list of castles, historic monuments and places you can visit, go to:

  • Historic places to visit

Historic buildings

'Listing' protects the historic and architectural significance of buildings. Recording them in this way helps to guide proposals for their future which can include development. The best buildings of today may become the listed buildings of the future.

There are around 9,000 listed buildings (March 2018) and you can find out which buildings are listed by accessing the Northern Ireland Buildings Database.

A first survey to identify and protect buildings of architectural and historic importance began in Northern Ireland (NI) in the early 1970s and the first building, the former Portrush Railway Station, was listed on 26 March 1974. A second survey has been continuing since 1997.

Almost any type of man-made structure can be listed.  The present list includes (amongst other types):

  • bridges
  • fountains
  • memorials
  • telephone boxes

You can nominate a building to be listed by e-mailing: 
HED.secondsurvey@communities-ni.gov.uk

or by writing to:
Historic Buildings Designation Branch
Listing Queries 
Ground floor
Nine Lanyon Place
Town Parks
Belfast
BT1 3LP

Check that the building is not already listed on the Buildings Database and provide, if possible, photographs and an accurate address or location. Once your nomination is received, an architect will visit the building or structure and will decide if further research should be commissioned.

A guidance document and flowchart explain the listing process:

  • The listing process (buildings)

Historic monuments

Over 16, 000 historic monuments have been identified in Northern Ireland, from prehistoric tombs to post-medieval settlements. They're all recorded online at the NI Sites and Monuments Record.

You can also view these records in the  public research room located in the Klondyke Building in the Belfast. Contact details at the link below:

  • Historic environment contacts

Some of Northern Ireland’s most important historic monuments are in ownership or guardianship of the Department for Communities.  There are 190 historic monuments in state care in Northern Ireland.

Most of these sites are open to the public, although some may be closed at times to allow work to take place. At more remote monuments, public access is not yet available and there is an ongoing programme to provide or enhance access.

The most popular sites, such as Dunluce Castle, Carrickfergus Castle and Enniskillen Castle, are staffed throughout the year and have visitor facilities. Some sites have a dedicated guide during the summer months but may not have visitor facilities. More information on sites and their opening times is available here:

  • Monumental Heritage

Scheduled monuments

There are just over 2000 historic monuments in Northern Ireland which are classified as 'scheduled monuments'. This means they are protected as Monuments of Regional Importance to Northern Ireland as a whole.

Generally these are in private ownership and the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities seeks to secure their upkeep, protection and maintenance through engagement with owners.

The sites reflect all periods of human activity from prehistoric tombs, earthworks, castles, churches, maritime sites to canals, World War II defences and the ‘Samson and Goliath’ cranes in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.

  • Scheduled monuments 

Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland 

Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland (HERoNI) has more information about historic buildings and monuments.

Historic environment map viewer

The historic environment map viewer allows you to search for historic buildings and monuments. 

Historic environment toolkit

The historic environment toolkit is an A-Z of useful advice, guidance, records and links for those dealing with, or interested in, the Historic Environment of Northern Ireland. 

More useful links

  • Accessing built heritage
  • Family history, heritage and museums
  • Historic environment
  • Archaeology and treasure
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Family history, heritage and museums

  • Accessing built heritage
  • Archaeology and treasure
  • Archives for family and local history
  • Historic buildings and monuments
  • Museums and galleries
  • Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
  • Research family history at the General Register Office NI (GRONI)

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS