Ring of Stone Circles: Exploring Neolithic Cumbria

Ring of Stone Circles is a book exploring Cumbria’s own ‘Stonehenge’, neolithic remains set in stone by ancient ancestors. Just like Cornwall’s ‘standing stones’, this northwest county boasts many ancient relics of its own.  If you’re wondering who these beauty birds are on the cover, they are endangered curlews.

England’s tallest mountains are ringed by almost fifty circles and henges, many sited in foothills or outlying plateaux. But why were these built? Where they astronomical, burial sites or simply meeting places?

Join the author as he searches for hidden stories that these great monuments guard, or might reveal, if we get to know them.

Stan L Abbott is a writer on the outdoors and conservation. He has written many books on local history, travel and walking. He is a member of the Outdoor Writers & Photographers Guild, and led a rail restoration group in Yorkshire.

Castlerigg is the main  set of stone circles in Cumbria, believed to be 5000 years old. Made from local volcanic rock, it has 38 remaining stones with a rectangle ‘sanctuary’ of 10 stones inside. It’s on a hill near Keswick, with views of surrounding mountains. It’s legally protected, and managed by the National Trust.

Swinside Stone circle aligns with the midwinter sunset, so presumably had something to do with nature and the solstices. And Casterton Stone Circle has been found with drinking vessels by archaeologists, obviously a fun place to be, before the advent of Cumbrian pubs!