Exploring Britain’s Sacred Landscapes
Lesser-known stone circles from prehistoric times
Britain is a land full of amazing history, with prehistoric monuments, burial mounds and ancient stone circles. These are a handful of the lesser-known stone circles and sacred places I’ve visited in recent years.
The Rollright Stones
The Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire consist of three groups: the King’s Men stone circle; the Whispering Knights burial chamber; and the single King Stone. They span nearly 2,000 years of Neolithic and Bronze Age development and you’ll see The Three Fairies Dancing Sculpture there too (pictured above).
Castlerigg Stone Circle
Castlerigg Stone Circle in Keswick, Cumbria, is made of 38 stones with 10 of those standing inside the ring. It is believed to have been built around 5000 years ago and is one of the earliest stone circles in Britain. It appears to contain significant astronomical alignments and was probably used for ceremonial purposes.
Lough Gur
Lough Gur in the Republic of Ireland is a very special place, calming, relaxing, tranquil. It has an ancient stone circle at the water’s edge —on the right of the picture below, at the foot of the hill by the waterside. It’s very small and easy to miss. It must’ve been a place of great spiritual importance at one time in history.
The Grange Stone Circle
There’s a much more substantial stone circle just up the road from Lough Gur — this is The Grange Stone Circle, where pagans still meet for ritual ceremonies and solstice celebrations every year. There are numerous historical stone monuments and ancient burial chambers in the vicinity, so it has obviously been a special place for centuries.
Ring of Brodgar, Orkney Islands
It was a truly miserable day when we visited the prehistoric monuments of Orkney on a Maxi-Tour day trip. This is the Ring of Brodgar, thought to be around 4500 years old.
Aviemore Stone Circle
Aviemore in the Cairngorms of Scotland has a small stone circle surrounded by a housing estate. It’s thought to be around 4000 years old, and there’s more of the monument below ground, but historians decided to leave it there, preserved under soil. The stone circle is thought to have been a ceremonial place, possibly used for cremations.
Ireland
Known for its Celtic roots, folklore and leprechauns, Ireland is a wonderful place for exploring ancient history. Drombeg Stone Circle in Co Cork, Ireland, is known locally as Druid’s Altar. It is constructed of 13 stones (originally 17), and ceremonial burials appear to have taken place at the site.
© Susie Kearley 2021
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