Castlerigg Prehistoric Stone Circle, Cumbria, UK

Ring of Standing Stones in a Beautiful Lake District Setting

Apr 30, 2009

Castlerigg is the most visited stone circle in Cumbria, a region which is host to a number of other large prehistoric stone circles.

With a diameter of about 30 metres, Castlerigg is a large prehistoric stone circle, probably among the first stone circles to be built in the area, in the Late Neolithic around 3000-2000 BC (1). The site is impressive, with much of the circle intact and set in a lovely setting with views to Skiddaw and Blencathra to the north, and the Derwent Fells to the west. The circle is made up of 38 stones, with all but five stones still standing. Ten more stones were used to form a rectangular enclosure, something that is unique to Castlerigg, it is not a feature found in any other stone circle. There is one outlier about 100m from the circle, which shows signs of having been buried until relatively recently. It shows many scratch-marks from the plough.

The circle is on a low hill one and a half miles east of the picturesque Lakeland town of Keswick. The circle and the land was purchased by public subscription organised in 1913 by Canon Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley, who was instrumental in setting up the National Trust in 1895 along with Octavia Hill and Sir Robert Hunter.

Archaeology of Castlerigg

Stone circles are notoriously hard to date and Castlerigg is no exception. A stone axe was found in 1875; the Lake District was a key location for the production of stone axes due to the presence of suitable stone and the access to Ireland as well as the rest of the country. Stone axes were produced in large quantities at Great Langdale and other places in the Lake District, and there was an extensive trade in them in prehistoric times.

Visiting Castlerigg Stone Circle

Castlerigg is owned by the National Trust, though it is in the care of English Heritage, and is signposted from the A66 Penrith to Keswick. There is a small layby with parking for about ten cars near to the site. It is accessible at any time.

As the most visited stone circle in Cumbria it is hard to get Castlerigg without a number of other people. The site is at its most atmospheric in the early morning or late evening when the sun is low in the sky.

Castlerigg GPS Reference

References

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