Castlerigg Stone Circle - Keswick, Cumbria
Posted by: 
SMacB
N 54° 36.219 W 003° 05.884
30U E 493664 N 6050691
3 information panels located near the entrances to the Castlerigg Ston Circle site, nr. Keswick.
Waymark Code: WM17Y6N
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/20/2023
Views: 0
3 information panels located near the entrances to the Castlerigg Ston Circle site, nr. Keswick.
"The monument is Castlerigg stone circle. It is located on a plateau of the north-easterly projecting spur of Castlerigg Fell and is divided into two separate areas. The monument includes an oval enclosure of stones which contains a smaller enclosure and two barrows, and an outlying stone. The oval enclosure includes 38 large stones, some standing up to 3m high and some fallen, and 3 smaller stones; it encloses an area measuring approximately 32m north-south by 29m east-west. There is an entrance between the two tallest stones on the northern side. Within the eastern side of the circle, abutting the internal face of three stones forming part of the circle, is a rectangular structure of 10 stones measuring c.7.6m by 3.6m internally. Within the south western side of the circle is a low bank up to 0.1m high which runs in an arc adjacent to the stones for a distance of about 8m. In the north-eastern and north-western quadrants of the circle are two barrows, both approximately 3.5m diameter by 0.05m high and each surrounded by a shallow ditch 0.6m wide by 0.05m deep. An earthen bank up to 7m wide and 0.3m high flanks the northern side of the circle. 70m west-south-west of the circle, and in a separate area, is a stone outlier located adjacent to the field boundary. Limited antiquarian investigation of the rectangular structure within the circle found charcoal, black soil mixed with stone, and a 'dark, unctuous sort of earth' near the bottom of the excavation. The stone circle was taken into State care in 1883."
SOURCE - (
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The 3 interpretation boards outline some of the history, and mystery, surrounding the stone circle. They cover the question of who built the stone circle, and what it was used for, how they have influenced romantic the poets like William Wordsworth, early tourism to the monument in the late 18th century, anh how in 1913 the site became one of the first archaeological sites to come under the protection of the National Trust. The text of the signs can be seen in the gallery images.