Long Meg & Her Daughters Stone Circle – Visit Cumbria One of the finest stone circles in the north of England, the circle has a diameter of about 350 feet, the second biggest in the country. Long Meg is the tallest of the 69 stones, about 12 feet high, with three mysterious symbols, its four corners facing the points of the compass and standing some 60 feet outside the circle. The stones probably date from about 1500 BC, and it was likely to have been used as a meeting place or for some form of religious ritual. Long Meg is made of local red sandstone, whereas the daughters are boulders of rhyolite, a form of granite. William Wordsworth wrote ‘Next to Stonehenge it is beyond dispute the most notable relic that this or probably any other country contains.’ The monument commonly called Long Meg A weight of Awe not easy to be borne Fell suddenly upon my spirit, cast From the dread bosom of the unknown past, When first I saw that family forlorn; Speak Thou, whose massy strength and stature scorn The power of years – pre-eminent, and placed Apart, to overlook the circle vast. Speak Giant-mother!

tell it to the Morn, While she dispels the cumbrous shades of night; Let the Moon hear, emerging from a cloud, At whose behest uprose on British ground That Sisterhood in hieroglyphic round Forth-shadowing, some have deemed the infinite The inviolable God that tames the proud. William Wordsworth 1822 Local legend claims that Long Meg was a witch who with her daughters, was turned to stone for profaning the Sabbath, as they danced wildly on the moor. The circle is supposedly endowed with magic, so that it is impossible to count the same number of stones twice, but if you do then the magic is broken. Just over a third of a mile (0.5 km) to the North-East of Long Meg and her Daughters, the largest stone circle in Cumbria, is one of the smallest, appropriately named Little Meg . Beneath the stones are the remains of the gypsum / anhydrite industries of the Long Meg Plaster and Mineral Co. Ltd. .

Menu : Long Meg and Her Daughters stone circle, associated cursus and prehistoric enclosure - 1007866| Historic England Long Meg and Her Daughters stone circle, associated cursus and prehistoric enclosure List Entry Summary This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Name: Long Meg and Her Daughters stone circle, associated cursus and prehistoric enclosure List entry Number: 1007866 The monument may lie within the boundary of more than one authority. County: Cumbria National Park: Not applicable to this List entry. Grade: Not applicable to this List entry. Date first scheduled: 18-Aug-1882 Date of most recent amendment: 08-Mar-1994 Legacy System Information The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system. Legacy System: RSM UID: 23663 Asset Groupings This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping.

Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information. List entry Description Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details. Reasons for Designation Stone circles are prehistoric monuments comprising one or more circles of upright or recumbent stones. The circle of stones may be surrounded by earthwork features such as enclosing banks and ditches. Single upright stones may be found within the circle or outside it and avenues of stones radiating out from the circle occur at some sites. Burial cairns may also be found close to and on occasion within the circle. Stone circles are found throughout England although they are concentrated in western areas, with particular clusters in upland areas such as Bodmin and Dartmoor in the south-west and the Lake District and the rest of Cumbria in the north-west. This distribution may be more a reflection of present survival rather than an original pattern. Where excavated they have been found to date from the Late Neolithic to the Middle Bronze Age (c.2400-1000 BC). It is clear that they were designed and laid out carefully, frequently exhibiting very regularly spaced stones, the heights of which also appear to have been of some importance.

We do not fully understand the uses for which these monuments were originally constructed but it is clear that they had considerable ritual importance for the societies that used them. In many instances excavation has indicated that they provided a focus for burials and the rituals that accompanied interment of the dead. Some circles appear to have had a calendrical function, helping mark the passage of time and seasons, this being indicated by the careful alignment of stones to mark important solar or lunar events such as sunrise or sunset at midsummer or midwinter. At other sites the spacing of individual circles throughout the landscape has led to a suggestion that each one provided some form of tribal gathering point for a specific social group. Large irregular stone circles comprise a ring of at least 20 stone uprights. The diameters of surviving examples range between 20 and 40 metres, although it is known that larger examples, now destroyed, formerly existed. The stone uprights of this type of circle tend to be more closely spaced than in other types of circle and the height and positioning of uprights also appears not to have been as important. They are widely distributed throughout England although in the south they are confined largely to the west.

Of the 250 or so stone circles identified in England only 45 examples of large irregular circles are known. As a rare monument type which provides an important insight into prehistoric ritual activity all surviving examples are worthy of preservation. Prehistoric rock art is found on natural rock outcrops and standing stones in many areas of upland Britain. It is especially common in the north of England where its most common form of decoration is the 'cup and ring' marking where expanses of small cup-like hollows are pecked into the surface of the rock. These cups may be surrounded by one or more 'rings'. Single pecked lines extending from the cup through the rings may also exist, providing the design with a 'tail'. Other shapes and patterns also occur, but are less frequent. Carvings may occur singly, in small groups, or may cover extensive areas of rock surface. They date to the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods (2800 - 500 BC) and provide one of the most important insights into prehistoric 'art'. The exact meaning of the designs remains unknown, but they may be interpreted as sacred or religious symbols.

Frequently they are found close to contemporary burial monuments and the symbols are also found on portable stones placed directly next to burials or incorporated in burial mounds. A cursus is an enormously elongated linear earthwork ranging from about 250m to 5.6km in length and whose proportions are such that the long axis is more than ten times the short axis. The sides are generally defined by a bank and external ditch, with the ditch usually varying between 1.5m - 4m wide and 0.6m - 2m deep, and banks anything from 1.5m - 3m high. The terminals are either round ended or square ended. Access to the interior was restricted and commonly occurs near one end of the long sides but may also be found in the centre of the long side or at both ends. The two long sides run roughly parallel and may incorporate or be spatially associated with other classes of prehistoric monument. The function of a cursus is not known, although they are presumed to be ritual/ceremonial monuments of the Middle and Late Neolithic date (3300 - 2500 BC).

Around 40 cursuses are currently known in England and these are widely scattered across central and eastern parts of the country. On present evidence this class of monument must be regarded as being very rare nationally. Prehistoric enclosures are plots of land usually enclosed by stone walls or banks of stone and earth in upland areas, and banks of earth with an external ditch in lowland areas. Many date to the Bronze Age (c.2000 - 500 BC) though earlier and later examples also exist. They were constructed as stock pens or as protected areas for crop growing and were sometimes subdivided to accommodate animal shelters and hut circle settlements. The size and form of enclosures may therefore vary considerably, depending on their particular function. Their variation in form, longevity and relationship to other monument classes provide important information on the diversity of social organisation and farming practices among prehistoric communities. Taken individually Long Meg and Her Daughters stone circle, the cursus, and the prehistoric enclosure are each of major archaeological importance. The stone circle is the largest irregular stone circle in Cumbria and is considered, on the basis of its form, to belong to an early period in the tradition of stone circle construction.

The outlying stone, Long Meg, displays a well preserved and complex arrangement of prehistoric rock art. The cursus is the only known example of this class of monument in north west England, and the prehistoric enclosure is considered, on the basis of the arrangement of stones in the adjacent stone circle, to predate the circle and thus represents a rare survival of a Neolithic enclosure. Taken collectively the site represents a unique combination of spatially associated monuments of the Late Neolithic - Early Bronze Age date. This association suggests that use of these individual monuments probably overlapped for at least some of their respective periods of use and attests to the importance of this area as a major gathering point for the wider populace for religious, ritual and ceremonial purposes during many centuries. History Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details. Details The monument is the stone circle known as Long Meg and Her Daughters, together with an associated cursus or linear earthwork to the west of the stone circle, and a prehistoric enclosure to the north. It is located on the edge of a wide sandstone terrace above the east bank of the River Eden. The monument includes an oval enclosure of stones with an outlying stone known as Long Meg to the south west.

The cursus and prehistoric enclosure have been identified from cropmarks visible in aerial photographs which clearly show the infilled ditches of these two monuments, neither of which are visible at ground level. The stone circle includes 69 large stones, some standing and some fallen, which are granitic glacial erratics arranged in a slight oval flattened to the north. The stones enclose an area measuring approximately 109m east-west by 94m north-south. An entrance at the south west side of the circle has two stones outside the main circle forming a portal or doorway into the circle. A short distance beyond the entrance is Long Meg, an outlying monolith of red sandstone 3.4m tall aligned from the centre of the circle on the mid-winter sunset. It is decorated with cup and ring marks - a relief sculpture produced by pecking and considered to be a form of religious symbolism - together with numerous other motifs including spirals, concentric circles, ovoids and curved lines.

Immediately to the north of the stone circle, and partly overlain by Longmeg Farm, aerial photographs have identified the infilled ditch of a roughly circular enclosure measuring some 210m north-south by 200m east-west. At the point where the stone circle and the enclosure virtually touch, the stone circle has been flattened slightly in shape suggesting that the enclosure was already in existence and the stones arranged so as not to disturb this earlier feature. To the west of the stone circle aerial photographs have identified two infilled ditches of a cursus running for approximately 600m from the cliff above the River Eden to the entrance on the south western side of the stone circle. The ditches are virtually parallel and c.40m-50m apart. The western end of the cursus is terminated by an oblique ditch also visible on aerial photographs. The eastern end is less clear; the northern ditch appears to run to the edge of the stone circle, the southern ditch, however, cannot be traced quite this far on existing aerial photographs but it is reasonable to assume that it also continues at least to the stone circle.

The designs of the rock art depicted on Long Meg, together with dating evidence from other stone circles and cursuses suggest use of this monument as a religious or ritual gathering point from the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age, c.2400 - 1000 BC. Antiquarian reports indicate that two round cairns were located within the stone circle in the 17th century, and local tradition states that bones were also found. The surface of the road to Longmeg Farm and the track beyond the farm, and all walls, fences, gateposts, field boundaries and telegraph poles are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath all these features is included. MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 5 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Selected Sources Beckensall, S, Cumbrian Prehistoric Rock Art: Symbols, Monument & Landscapes, (1992), 7-13 Stuckley, W, Itinerarium Curiosum, (1776), 47 Stuckley, W, Itinerarium Curiosum, (1776), 47 Crawford, O G S, 'Antiquity' in Notes and News: Long Meg, , Vol. 8, (), 328-9 Crawford, O G S, 'Antiquity' in Notes and News: Long Meg, , Vol. 8, (), 328-9 Crawford, O G S, 'Antiquity' in Notes and News: Long Meg, , Vol.

8, (), 328-9 Other AP , Cumbria County Council, Long Meg and Her Daughters, AP , Cumbria County Council, Long Meg and Her Daughters, AP , Cumbria County Council, Long Meg and Her Daughters, AP , Cumbria County Council, Long Meg and Her Daughters, AP , Cumbria County Council, Long Meg and Her Daughters, AP , Cumbria County Council, Long Meg and Her Daughters, AP No. CCC 2514,15, Cumbria County Council, Long Meg, AP No. CCC 2514,18, Cumbria County Council, Long Meg, AP No. CCC 2522,21, Cumbria County Council, Long Meg, AP No.

XPI 2517,5, Cumbria County Council, Long Meg, Bowman, A., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Large Irregular Stone Circles, (1990) Darvill, T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Cursus, (1988) National Grid Reference: NY 56847 37164 Map © Crown Copyright and database right 2017. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900. © British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2017. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006. Use of this data is subject to Terms and Conditions . The above map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full scale map, please see the attached PDF - 1007866 .pdf The PDF will be generated from our live systems and may take a few minutes to download depending on how busy our servers are. We apologise for this delay.

This copy shows the entry on 08-Jan-2017 at 05:41:22. End of official listing Long Meg and Her Daughters Stone Circle Penrith Long Meg Stone Circle Long Meg and Her Daughters Stone Circle, Penrith Long Meg and Her Daughters stone circle, which is also known as Maughanby Circle, is a Bronze Age stone circle located near to Penrith in Cumbria, North West England. Long Meg is a mile or so to the north of the Lakeland village of Little Selkeld off the A686 Penrith to Alston road, and there stands this impressive stone circle. When visiting the site, a track runs through the circle to a farm and it is possible to park a vehicle on the verge in the field containing the stone circle. The stone circle of Long Meg is the sixth largest example known from this part of north-western Europe, whilst the third largest stone circle in England after Avebury and Stanton Drew. The site is also thought to be one of the earliest, dating from the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age.

Long Meg Stone Circle Long Meg and her Daughters consist of 51 stones of which 27 remain upright (the largest of which is 29 tons). The stones are set in an oval shape, measuring 94 metres north-south and 109 metres east-west on its long axis. The overall diameter of the circle is 106 metres. It is possible that there may have been as many as 70 stones at the site. There is an entrance to the southwest that is flanked by a pair of stones just outside the stone circle. [Show as slideshow] The largest outlying stone is Long Meg herself, the ‘mother stone’ which is 3.6m high and is thought to weigh about 9 tonnes, a monolith of red sandstone 18m to the southwest of the circle made by her daughters. Long Meg is marked with examples of megalithic art, which includes a cup and rings of concentric circles. These carvings face away from the circle, a fact which has prompted speculation that the stone was erected at a different time period from the circle.

It is interesting to note that the four corners of the Long Meg stone are facing the points of the compass and standing some 18.28 metres (60 feet) outside the circle. When the standing stone of Long Meg is viewed from the centre of the circle the monolith aligns with the midwinter sunset. It is not known exactly what the stone circle was used for, and yet it was likely used as a meeting place or some form of religious ritual. The relationship of Long Meg to the stone circle suggests the possibility that it may have been used to sight the midwinter sun. William Wordsworth wrote “Next to Stonehenge it is beyond dispute the most notable relic that this or probably any other country contains”. Long Meg and her Daughters Legends The most famous of the many legends and local folklore that surround the stones of Long Meg is that they was once a coven of witches who were turned to stone by a wizard from Scotland named Michael Scot. It is said that the witches were celebrating their Sabbath when the wizard found them at it and turned them into stone.

It is also said the stones cannot be counted – but, if anyone is able to count them twice and come to the same total, the spell will be broken or it will bring very bad luck. [Show as slideshow] Another legend of the Long Meg stone circle states that if you walk round the circles and count the number of stones correctly, then put your ear to Long Meg, you will hear her whisper. The name itself is said to come from a local witch, Meg of Meldon, who was alive in the early 17th century. More fascinating is the folklore that holds sway that if Long Meg and Her Daughters are moved or destroyed terrible misfortune, perhaps even a ferocious storm will fall upon those responsible. Story has it that a Colonel Lacy the land owner, of nearby Selkeld Hall decided to have the stones blasted with gun powder. When the work began a terrible thunder storm erupted from out of clear sky. This was taken by the labourers as a sign of the circle’s Supernatural power to defend itself – they fled in terror and would not carry out the work. The landowner then had a change of heart and left Long Meg and Her Daughters to themselves.

Should you wish to see better quality photographs of Long Meg Stone Circle please visit Long Meg Stone Circle on our Lake District Walks Flickr account. I hope you enjoy walking around this ancient monument of Long Meg Stone Circle as I did or even incorporating a visit in with a walk. Lake District & Lakeland Walks Lake District Walks Tag Cloud The Legend of the Stone Circle known as Long Meg and Her Daughters | Ancient Origins 5 September, 2015 - 15:08 aprilholloway The Legend of the Stone Circle known as Long Meg and Her Daughters By April Holloway | The Epoch Times Despite their pervasiveness throughout the world, with thousands scattered across Britain and Europe alone, stone circles never cease to arouse awe and intrigue in those who gaze upon them. Perhaps it is the realization of the sheer effort that would have gone into their assembly, or the fact that, despite centuries of research, we are really no closer to unraveling their mysteries. Long Meg and Her Daughters, as it is curiously named, is one such stone circle, situated within a picturesque landscape in Cumbria, England, and steeped in centuries of folklore and legend.

While there are more than 1,300 stone circles in the British Isles, 18th century Cumbrian poet William Wordsworth wrote that after Stonehenge, Long Meg and Her Daughters “is beyond dispute the most notable relic that this or probably any other country contains.” His admiration for the stone circle is clearly expressed in his poem, “The Monument Commonly Called Long Meg and Her Daughters,” 1833: A weight of awe, not easy to be borne, Fell suddenly upon my spirit, cast From the dread bosom of the unknown past When first I saw that family forlorn.. Speak Thou, whose massy strength and stature scorn The power of years—pre-eminent, and placed Apart, to overlook the circle vast. Speak Giant-mother! While Wordsworth may have been somewhat biased by his love for his native land of Cumbria, there is no doubt that the stone circle is something special. Long Meg and Her Daughters is the second largest stone circle in England, and the sixth biggest example known in Europe, and despite the fact that at least 3,500 years have passed since its construction, it has survived the passage of time extraordinarily well.

Long Meg and Her Daughers ( Martin McCarthy/Wikimedia Commons ) Long Meg and Her Daughters consists of 59 megalithic stones arranged in an oval shape measuring 100 meters on its long axis. Written records from the early 17th century suggest that there were as many as 77 megaliths at that time. Long Meg is the tallest and most famous stone in the circle, measuring 12.5 feet (3.8) meters in height and situated 109 yards (25 meters) outside the circle positioned towards the southwest, where (when standing in the center of the circle) the midwinter sun would have set. Long Meg, a 12.5-foot (3.8-meter) high monolith of red sandstone standing about 109 yards (25 meters) from the circle of the “daughter” stones. ( Paul Farmer/Wikimedia Commons ) The monolith is of local red sandstone, quarried from the banks of the River Eden nearly 2 miles away, and is engraved with mysterious symbols, including cup and ring marks, a spiral, and rings of concentric circles.

Archaeologists suggest that Long Meg and Her Daughters was once used as a meeting place, at certain significant times of the year, possibly for religious rituals or ceremonies. It is known from the alignments that the Long Meg stones were involved in both solar and lunar predictions. However, exactly what the predictions were used for and what went on inside the circle thousands of years ago remains a mystery. Image of one of three “cup and ring” markings on the Long Meg Bronze Age standing stone. ( Wikimedia Commons ) The Legend of Long Meg According to folkloric stories going back many centuries, Long Meg was a witch named “Meg of Meldon,” who, along with her daughters, was turned to stone for profaning the Sabbath as they danced wildly on the moor. Some believe that from a certain angle, the Long Meg monolith even resembles the profile of a witch. “Legend tells that the stones were originally a coven of witches, turned to stone by the Scottish wizard Michael Scott,” writes Mysterious Britain .

“This legend is common throughout Britain with variation, stone circles have been petrified sinners, wedding parties and giants.” A plaque depicting the legend of Long Meg and her daughters; a coven of witches dancing on the moor before they were cast into stone. ( Humphrey Bolton/Wikimedia Commons ) Many say that the stone circle is imbued with magic and that it is impossible to count the same number of stones twice. If this is achieved, legend says that the wizard’s spell will finally be broken. “Even today the stones have the power to attract worship, many of the trees surrounding the site have been used as the depositories of offerings,” writes Mysterious Britain . “On our visit many objects had been left dangling from the trees wrapped in cloth, their contents unknown, but one would hope not too sinister.” Long Meg And Her Daughters [Long Meg] Stone Circle : The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map: External Links: Image: Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by nicoladidsbury Stone Circle in Cumbria. This is an amazing Bronze Age site covering quite a large area. The stones are placed in a flattened oval 100 by 93 metres, and there were originally about seventy.

Today there are fifty-nine, twenty-seven of them still standing. The stones of the circle are the daughters and Long Meg herself is a 3.6 metre standing stone just outside the circle. On the flat surface of Long Meg that faces the circle is a cup and ring mark, a spiral, and an incomplete concentric circle. Nearby is Little Meg Aerial photography in 1988 has revealed a huge earthen enclosure to the north of the circle which meets and matches the flattened northerly segment of the ring. Tradition states that Long Meg and Her Daughters were a coven of witches who were holding their sabbat, some time in the thirteenth century. Michael Scot, a wizard from Scotland, found them so engaged and cast a spell over the assembled company, turning them all into stones. In common with other circles, these stones are said to be uncountable, and if anyone can count them twice and arrive at the same total, the spell will be broken. It is also said that when a local squire attempted to remove the stones, a tremendous and terrifying storm broke out overhead and so the project was immediately abandoned.

Finally, a prophecy tells us that if Long Meg were ever to be shattered, she would run with blood. Access: 6.5 kilometres north-east of Penrith on the A686 road, a minor road leads north from Langwathby to Little Salkeld. 0.5 km beyond Little Salkeld a track off to the left leads directly to the site, and there is room to park alongside the track. You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page To see the most up to date information please register for a free account . Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by nicoladidsbury * A * Photo with a Summer Solstice theme. Long Meg and her Daughters on Solstice Eve night. This image perfectly captures my experience of the solstice at Long Meg. The full moon rose just after the sun had set. The people in the shot had just finished drumming the sun down, drumming like a heart beat. It was a magic night. Unfortunately the sunrise was covered by clouds. Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by Bladup Long Meg And Her Daughters.

Long Meg and Her Daughters submitted by JACKME The shadow from Long Meg just reaching stone 9 taken 05.02.03 See The Great Stone Circles - How they Work, for further information Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by Bladup Little picture and another one complete in under an hour [ on site ]- Long meg and a few daughters. Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by NorthernerInLondon Great in the mist... Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by Bladup Long Meg And Her Daughters. Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by Bladup Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by Bladup Long Meg And a few of her daughters. Long Meg and Her Daughters submitted by swatson It's an impressively big site and it's not possible to include all the stones in one shot but I hope this gives an idea of the scale of things. NY571372 Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by nicoladidsbury Long Meg in midsummer full moon light. This is another photo taken at about 2am on the solstice morning. The sun never really set. You could see its glimmer the whole night.

This picture shows the night time glimmer of the below the horizon sun's rays, again set at 30 seconds exposure. To the naked eye the sky was quite dark, but the camera caught this remarkable orange colour, and managed to pic... Long Meg and Her Daughters submitted by JACKME Long Meg. 18.3.03. at 5.52pm showing the weak shadow to near Stone 1. This demonstrates how quickly the shadow weakens. At midsummer the shadow from Stone 52 goes to Stone 19 as seen (near) on 3.7.03. See The Great Stone Circles - How they Work, for further information Long Meg and Her Daughters submitted by JACKME At the Equinoxes the shadow from Stone 52 goes to Stone 1 at the same time as Long Megï¿½s shadow goes to Stone 19, as seen here on the 18th March 2003. See The Great Stone Circles - How they Work, for further information Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by nicoladidsbury Long Meg and her daughters - spring equinox eve 2005 as the sun sets.

Quite possibly the most beautiful place in Cumbria to watch the sunset. Next year I want to watch the sun rise on the spring equinox, rise into the star sign of Aquarius. Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by Bladup Long Meg And Her Daughters. Long Meg And Her Daughters submitted by stuhyde Here is a panorama of Long Meg. It is the second largest Stone Circle in Europe These are just 15 photos of Long Meg And Her Daughters. If you were logged in with a free user account you would be able to see our entire collection. Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor. Nearby sites listing.

In the following links * = Image available same position Long Meg * Standing Stone (Menhir) (NY571372) 558m W 269° Hunsonby Cursus Cursus (NY56543719) 651m E 74° Little Meg * Stone Circle (NY5769037479) 1.1km NE 24° Addingham Cross * Ancient Cross (NY574383) 2.2km N 7° Glassonby * Stone Circle (NY5727839352) 3.4km NW 303° Lazonby Ancient Cross * Ancient Cross (NY5489039775) 3.9km NW 322° St Oswald's Well (Kirkoswald) * Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NY555408) 5.1km S 192° St Cuthbert's Well (Cumbria) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NY564321) 7.0km S 193° Giant

's Cave (Cumbria) * Cave or Rock Shelter (NY56093027) 8.0km W 257° Lowhouse * Stone Circle (NY496343) 8.4km SE 151° Winderwath Stone Circle * Stone Circle (NY596292) 8.4km W 270° Hallrigg Standing Stone * Standing Stone (Menhir) (NY487374) 8.9km SW 234° Penrith Museum * Museum (NY5144830339) 8.9km SW 233° Giants Grave, Penrith * Ancient Cross (NY51653017) 9.6km NW 336° Broomrigg C * Stone Circle (NY548465) 9.6km NW 336° Broomrigg I Standing Stone * Standing Stone (Menhir) (NY54784654) 9.6km N 338° Broomrigg D * Stone Circle (NY5

50466) 9.6km NW 337° Broomrigg B1 * Stone Circle (NY54844659) 9.8km NW 336° Broomrigg A * Stone Circle (NY548467) 9.8km NW 336° Broomrigg * Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (NY548467) 10.2km SW 221° Little Round Table * Henge (NY52382817) 10.2km SW 225° Mayburgh * Henge (NY519284) 10.4km SW 230° Skirsgill * Standing Stone (Menhir) (NY511287) 10.5km SW 223° Brougham Hall Stone Circle (NY520280) Long Meg and Her Daughters, Penrith, Cumbria HERITAGE RATING: ?

On a sloping hillside near Penrith, Cumbria, lies the 3rd largest stone circle in England (after Avebury and Stanton Drew). Long Meg and her Daughters is composed of a large ring (more an ellipse than a circle) measuring 300 x 360 feet, and several large outlying stones. The largest of these outliers is Long Meg, the "mother stone" (see photo). Long Meg is a 12 ft high piece of red sandstone standing about 240 ft from the circle of "daughter" stones. There are faint traces of spiral carvings in the face of Long Meg, in a style associated with the Bronze Age (c. 2000-900BCE). These carvings face away from the circle, a fact which has prompted speculation that the stone was erected at a different time period from the circle. A date of 2500-2000BCE has been suggested. The circle itself is composed of 59 large stones (the largest is a hefty 29 tons). These stones are of local porphyritic material.

The relationship of Long Meg to the circle suggests the possibility that it may have been used to sight the midwinter sun. Although on the ground the stones appear to be unprotected, aerial views show that there was once an earthen ring surrounding it. More fascinating than the circle itself (unless you are an archaeologist) are the legends associated with it. Local folklore says that the stones were a coven of witches. They were celebrating their sabbath when a magician (or a saint) found them at it and turned them into stone. It is said that if the circle is moved or destroyed terrible misfortune (perhaps in the form of a ferocious storm) will fall upon those responsible. It is also said that the stones are uncountable (this is a common legend associated with stone circles). Further, the legend says that if anyone does manage to count the stones twice in a row, the spell will be undone. Another legend is unique to this site; it is said that if Long Meg herself was damaged, she would begin to bleed.

About Long Meg Long Meg and her Daughters Cumbria by Zoe Dawes in Cumbria , Outdoors , Walking “She was probably a very fecund witch who produced lots of wild, attractive and subversive daughters, scandalising the locals and creating mayhem amongst the farmers and their sons …” One of many wonderfully imaginative local legends given for Long Meg and her Daughters. Few people realise that what is said to be the 3rd largest stone circle in England (after Stonehenge & Avebury) is hidden away in the lovely Eden Valley, below the Pennines in the east of Cumbria. I was taking a couple of visitors round who knew the Lake District very well and wanted to see some of the lesser known sites off the beaten track. The Eden Valley is perfect as it has many fascinating places to stop off and savour at a leisurely pace. We had a delicious (and organic) lunch at the VERY quirky Little Salkeld Watermill , bought a copy of their ‘Favourite Walks’ booklet (written by the owner, from where the above quote is found) and set off to find Long Meg.

You can walk from the Mill but we had drove 10 minutes and there she was, standing slightly apart from her ‘daughters, watching over them as she must have for maybe 3000 years. The circle has about 60 stones although if you try to count them you risk being turned into stone yourself, so beware … Long Meg is made from local red sandstone and the ‘daughters’ from granite. It’s believed to be Bronze Age, between 1500 BC and 1000 BC.

Theories of why the circle was originally formed vary and include: a lunar observatory tracking 19 yr cycle of the moon an ancient burial place for important local people a meeting place for locals to exchange goods a trading centre for stone axe-heads much in demand with warring tribes Whatever its true purpose, there is NO Druid connection as they were around thousands of years later … Long Meg inspired Lake District poet William Wordsworth to write a poem to the circle in 1822 The Monument Commonly Called Long Meg “When first I saw that family forlorn; Speak Thou, whose massy strength and stature scorn The power of years – pre-eminent, and placed Apart, to overlook the circle vast…” We spent a lovely hour or so wandering round the circle, and at the foot of Long Meg herself we found this curious collection of ‘offerings’, including money, jewellery, flowers and pebbles. It had been the Autumn equinox recently so maybe some pagan ritual was being carried out in memory of that fecund witch and her feisty daughters … P.S. It was this day out that inspired the winning entry for Britain’s Best Travel Blogger award; truly a life-changing event!

Top Ten Stone Circles UK - Britain ExplorerBritain Explorer Top Ten Stone Circles UK By: admin Comments: Comments Off on Top Ten Stone Circles UK Britain has some of the best stone circles and Neolithic sites in the UK. They’ve inspired the imagination of historians, archaeologists and even poets. These prehistoric sites represent the very first civilisations in the UK and Europe and are still the subject of debate and mystery. Archaeologists tend to agree that they were used for religious rituals and even burials but … they aren’t certain that this was there main purpose. They’ve been linked to ancient druids, ghosts, crop circles and even alien visitations. Examples such as Stonehenge would have required the efforts of hundreds if not thousands of people so there is no doubt they were of extraordinary importance. This is our list of the top ten stone circles in the UK. Arbor Low – Derbyshire – UK Arbor Low is a recumbent Neolithic stone circle located in the Peak District of the UK. The site is privately owned but managed by English Heritage and dates back to circa 2500BC. It’s comprised of around 50 limestone megaliths which were excavated from a nearby Stone Age quarry.

In the centre are seven smaller megaliths which create a rough horseshoe shape or cove. Around 1902 human skeleton was unearthed near to this spot. It is one of the best preserved prehistoric monuments in Britain and was one of the first to be awarded statutory protection. The site was used as recently as the Bronze Age during which time the outer bank was rebuilt. Unlike other stone circles in the UK, it seems as if the megaliths were positioned horizontally in a radiating pattern resembling a clock face. No ‘post-holes’ have been discovered and the purpose of this layout remains a mystery. It has recently been the focus of pagan ceremonies and is said to be the axis of many ley-lines. Rollright Stones – Oxfordshire – UK The Rollright Stones are on the border between the counties of Warwickshire and Oxfordshire. The main stone circle is made up of 77 megaliths which are known as the King’s Men. Roughly 350 metres to the east is a Neolithic dolmen which is all that remains of an ancient burial chamber. These standing stones are known as the Whispering Knights.

80 metres to the north east of the main circle is a solitary megalith called The King. Made of sedimentary rocks, the megaliths have undergone extensive weathering and have been described as ‘lumps of leprous limestone’. The Rollright Stones are associated with many myths and legends. The stones are said to have once been a king and his soldiers who were turned to stone by a witch called mother Shipton. The Whispering Knights are said to occasionally disappear and strange lights, a sometimes frightening atmosphere and ongoing stories of witchcraft are all still associated with the stone circle. Long Meg & Her Daughters – Cumbria Maughanby Stone Circle – nicknamed as ‘Long Meg and Her Daughters’ – dates back to the early Bronze Age around 1500BC and is located in the English county of Cumbria. It’s one of the largest in north-western Europe and consists of 51 stones although there may once have been as many as 70. Long Meg is a single sandstone monolith located outside of the circle which may have acted as a prehistoric sundial casting a shadow onto the circle of stones to the North East.

Long Meg has been engraved with petroglyphs such as a ‘cup and ring’ mark, a spiral and varying concentric circles. The origin of the name is uncertain. Some sources claim Long Meg was a ‘bad’ witch who was turned stone, along with her coven, by a ‘good’ wizard – Michael of Scotland. Other sources suggest it was named after the giantess ‘Meg of Westminster’ who was buried in the North. Both legends tell of a mysterious treasure of gold buried nearby. The site is believed to be protected by supernatural storms. Castlerigg – Cumbria – UK Castlerigg is located at the summit of a low hill and surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of larger peaks including Blencathra, Skiddaw, and Lonscale Fell. This makes it one of the most picturesque stone circles in Britain with striking views of the surrounding landscape. The circle is 30 metres wide and is officially made up of 40 megaliths. However, the exact number is uncertain as erosion has revealed some four additional stones that may have once been upright or were perhaps only ever used for packing the larger megaliths.

Dating back to around 3000BC it is one of the oldest stone circles in the UK. Archeo-astronomers have studied the site and believe that they have discovered a number of significant alignments. In particular, they believe that certain of the stones are specifically associated with the position of the midwinter sunrise and the orbit of the Moon. As with all other stone circles the exact reason for Castlerigg’s construction remains a mystery. Stanton Drew – Somerset – UK Stanton Drew is the 3rd largest collection of prehistoric megaliths in England and is made up of three interrelated stone circles. The Great Circle has a circumference of 355 metres and has 26 upright stones. Archaeological surveys conducted in 1997 show that the remaining circles were once part of a much larger site which may have extended from the Cove as far as the Neolithic burial site known as Hautville Quoit – a distance of 825 metres. The research also revealed numerous pits that may have been used for megaliths or other ritual purposes. Legend has it that a wedding party was held on a Sunday but the only musician who would play was the Devil in disguise.

At the end of the dance the partygoers were turned to stone for their wickedness. It’s an important site for pagan weddings and ceremonies. it is quite common to find small offerings hidden in the holes of the stones. It is considered to be very unlucky to remove them. Ring of Brodgar, Orkney – UK The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic stone circle and henge on the largest island in Orkney, Scotland. It is situated on a small strip of land between the Lochs of Harray and Stenness and dates back to around 3,300BC. The stone circle is 104 metres (341 ft) in diameter and the outer henge has a circumference of 418 metres. It’s believed that the Ring of Brodgar initially had 60 megaliths but only 27 currently remain upright. The first official survey of the complex was carried out in 1849 Captain F.W.L. Thomas of HM cutter Woodlark. There are many mysteries associated with the site but perhaps the most interesting is why the nearby Ness of Brodgar was suddenly abandoned some 4,300 years ago.

It appears as if a vast feast was held at which up to 600 cattle were slaughtered after which the historical and archaeological record fades away. Theories ranging from climate change to a sudden shift in religious beliefs have been put forward but the real reason for the exodus remains elusive. Callanish – Isle of Lewis – UK The Callanish Stones (Tursachan Chalanais) are located on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and date back to around 2900BC – although there is some evidence to suggest that Neolithic development of the site dates back even earlier. Thirteen central stones form a circle roughly 13 metres in diameter at the axis of two stone-demarcated avenues which form the shape of a cross. A single monolith is positioned at the very centre. Folklore tales explain that the stones were created when a group giants rejected Christianity and were turned to rocks by Saint Kieran as a punishment. Another legend refers to the site being associated with the arrival of the “shining One” every Midsummer’s solstice.

The stones have been depicted on an album cover for the band Ultravox and were featured in the 2012 animated film ‘Brave’ which tells the story of a young Scottish Girl and her quest for personal independence. The site is now in the care of Historic Scotland. Beaghmore Stone Circle – Co. Tyrone The Beaghmore stone circles and cairns date back to the late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods around 2,000-1,200 BC. They were discovered quite recently in or around 1942 and their magnitude went largely unnoticed due to the disruption caused by WWII. What makes these prehistoric monuments so important is the sheer scale of the complex. It features seven low stone circles of varying sizes, six of which are paired. There are also twelve cairns and ten megalithic rows integrated into the overall layout. One of the circles is highly unusual as it has 800 smaller stones erected inside its perimeter. These have come to be known as the Dragon’s Teeth. More than 1,250 specific stones have been identified making it one of the largest formations of its kind.

The largest cairn was found to contain the branch from an oak tree. Archaeologists believe that only a portion of the total site has been revealed. It is in the care of the Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service. Avebury Circle – Wiltshire – UK The Avebury Neolithic stone circles are actually larger than Stonehenge and just as mysterious. Dating back to 2600 BC, the complex comprises the main circles, cove, two ceremonial avenues and numerous barrows, tumuli’s and other earthworks. It’s important to modern pagans as a religious site, and is also infamous for strange lights, demon myths, visitations and the barber skeleton mystery. Visitors to Avebury quickly notice that many of the stones have unusual holes that seem to disappear deep into the interior of the megaliths. A question that is often asked is, ‘was this a temple dedicated to a sun god snake cult?’ Many people point out that the arrangement of the avenues and the stone circles creates a distinctive serpentine shape. The megaliths at Avebury are well known for their complex patterns made from generations of rare lichens. A recent survey noted 32 species on a single Sarsen stone.

Read more about Avebury Stone Circle. Stonehenge – Wiltshire – UK tonehenge is Britain’s most important ancient monument and has been recognised as such throughout history. It’s certainly one of the UK’s most important tourist destinations and attracts about 900,000 visitors every year generating about 6.3 million Pounds in direct tourism revenue and as much as 22 million Pounds in direct economic impact. Stonehenge is a Neolithic monument located in Wiltshire, UK and is the most famous Neolithic site in the World. Archaeologists and historians believe it was constructed between 3000 BC and 2000 BC. There have been many theories as to why the site was abandoned from around 1800BC. They range from tribal conflicts to sickness and mass depopulation. It does seem that the site diminished in importance at the same time as the arrival of the Beaker People. As those ‘beakers’ were probably used for alcohol it’s ironic to think that Stonehenge may have been superseded by the World’s first pubs. - REGISTER - Register now with Britain Explorer and you can stay up-to-date with our latest additions.

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Question: In which county would you find the stone circle known as 'Long Meg and her daughters'?
Answer: Cumbria