Get Stoned and Be Happy (Castlerigg Stone Circle)

Member Name: kensplace

Product:	Castlerigg Stone Circle
Date:	08/05/01 (140 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free, Great view, Though provoking

Disadvantages: Unanswered questions

CastleRig Stone Circle

I found this stone circle when I was riding the Coast to Coast ride for the first time, I had never heard of it before, in fact the only Stone Circle I had heard of was StoneHenge.

Whilst not on the same scale as Stonehenge, this is a very impressive site, not least due to its magnificent mountainside settings.

The circle itself is located on a hill 200 metres above Keswick, inside a much larger circle of fells and are shared with sheep as well as the curious public.

First written about in the Eighteenth century by William Stukely who believed the were a druid temple, then later they inspired John Keets to write "like a dismal cirque of druid stones, upon a forlone moor" in his poem Hyperion. Locals to this day still refer to the circle as the Druid circle.

Ironically the circle is not actually a perfect circle, as it is slightly flattened on its north east side, but to the casually observer it looks circular enough. The largest of the 48 stones is 2.3 metres high and weighs around 15 tonnes, with the average stone being around 1 metre high and around 2.25 tonnes.The South East side contains a feature not found in other stone circles, that of a rectangular enclosure made out of 10 of the stones, the exact purpose of which, like the circle itself is unknown.

It is thought that the circle is around 5000 years old, making it one of the earliest of its kind, and it is also thought that the smallest possible team of people to construct it would have been around 70 men working in several groups.

Although many circles have been used as primarily as burial grounds, it is not so here, although there is a mound within the circle that may have been used for burial purposes.

No one is sure if the circle was used for astronomical purposes, allowing alignment of stars and planets through the stones, but it is thought that at times the circle was used for a trading place for ax
es.

Pagan rituals and sacrifices may have been carried out within the circle, but no evidence of this has been located yet. The circle will have been used for religious ceremonies, tribal gatherings and bartering.

Apparently the stones were deposited on the hill rather a long time ago - during the last Ice Age - so not only is the circle old - the stones are even older (around 14, 000 years)

Although recently closed due to foot and mouth (check to see if it has been re-opened if you plan to visit), the site is still viewable from the roadside, but it is much better when you can walk right upto and even sit on a stone.

Whatever the reason for the circle, whatever purpose it was used for, it is an impressive site, and makes the mind boggle at how 5000 years ago, such a large fete of engineering could be accomplished - its hard enough cycling up the hill - never mind moving stones weighing 15 tonnes!!

Entrance is FREE by the way - but there is a donation box at the entrance to help support the National Trust who maintain the site.

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