Castlerigg stone circle

Location map
Cumbria
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lat = 54.60259
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caption = Location of Castlerigg stone circle in Cumbria at grid reference NY292236
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Castlerigg Stone Circle (alt. Keswick Carles, Carles, Carsles or Castle-rig) near Keswick in England is one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain and is the most visited stone circle in Cumbria. Every year, thousands of people make the short journey from Keswick to the plateau of Castlerigg Fell and to Chestnut Hill, on which the monument stands. This plateau forms the raised centre of a natural amphitheatre created by the surrounding fells and from within the circle it is possible to see four of the five highest peaks in Cumbria: Helvellyn, Skiddaw, Grasmoor and Blencathra.

Description

The stones are of a local metamorphic slate, set in a flattened circle, measuring 32.6m (107ft) at its widest and 29.5m (97ft) at its narrowest. The heaviest stone has been estimated to weigh around 16 tons and the tallest stone measures approximately 2.3m high. There is a 3.3m wide gap in its northern edge, which may have been an entrance. Within the circle, abutting its eastern quadrant, is a roughly rectangular setting of a further 10 stones. The circle was probably constructed around 3200 BC (Late Neolithic/Early Bronze-Age), making it one of the earliest stone circles in Britain and possibly Europe, too. It is important to archaeoastronomers who have noted that the sunrise during the Autumn equinox appears over the top of Threlkeld Knott, a hill 3.5km to the east. Some stones in the circle have been aligned with the midwinter sunrise and various lunar positions.

There is a tradition that it is impossible to count the number of stones within Castlerigg; every attempt will result in a different answer. This tradition, however, may not be far from the truth. Due to erosion of the soil around the stones, caused by the large number of visitors to the monument, several smaller stones have ‘appeared’ next to some of the larger stones. Because these stones are so small, they are likely to have been packing stones used to support the larger stones when the circle was constructed and would originally have been buried. Differences in opinion as to the exact number of stones within Castlerigg are usually down to whether the observer counts these small packing stones, or not; some count 38 and others, 42. The ‘official’ number of stones, as represented on the National Trust information board at the monument, is 40.

In the early 20th century, a single outlying stone was erected by a farmer approximately 90m to the south west of Castlerigg. This stone has many linear ‘scars’ along its side from being repeatedly struck by a plough, suggesting that it was once buried below the surface and also why the farmer dug it up. It is not possible to say whether this stone was originally part of the circle, or just a naturally deposited boulder.

Archaeological interpretations

The original motivation behind the construction of Castlerigg, its subsequent use and how this may have changed over time, is not known for sure. Current thinking has linked Castlerigg with the Neolithic greenstone Langdale axe industry in the nearby Langdale fells, with the circle acting as a meeting place where these axes were traded or exchanged. Ritually deposited stone axes are frequently found all over Britain, suggesting that their use went far beyond their mundane practical capabilities. Because of this, any exchange or trading of stone axes may not have been possible without first taking part in a ritual or ceremony. Castlerigg stone circle could have been the space in which these rituals and ceremonies were enacted.

Alternative interpretations

Iris Campbell's psychometric interpretation of their purpose, made in 1944, is as follows:

These stones were part of a memorial assembly place where kings came down to mourn their dead. A central meeting-place where priests would come from surrounding centres - but of a funereal nature; performing their funeral rights by weaving different cosmic colours around the bier in order to speed the departure of the passing soul. It was done for those of higher grade in the priesthood so that they could be absolutely freed for higher work elsewhere.

Antiquarian study of Castlerigg

It was not until the early 18th century that Castlerigg came to the attention of the wider public, when William Stukeley (1687–1765) visited the site, in 1725.

Stukeley’s account of his visit to Castlerigg is brief and was published in his "Itinerarium Curiosum" in 1776, 11 years after his death. Stukeley’s visit is important, as it is the earliest written record of the stone circle at Castlerigg:

…for a mile before we came to Keswick, on an eminence in the middle of a great concavity of those rude hills, and not far from the banks of the river Greata, I observed another Celtic work, very intire: it is 100 foot in diameter, and consists of forty stones, some very large. At the east end of it is a grave, made of such other stones, in number about ten: this is placed in the very east point of the circle, and within it: there is not a stone wanting, though some are removed a little out of their first station: they call it the Carsles, and, corruptly I suppose, Castle-rig. There seemed to be another larger circle in the next pasture toward the town.

Stukeley could be describing the circle as it stands today, as it has changed little in the three centuries since his visit. The rectangular enclosure within the circle, that Stukeley took to be a grave, still consists of 10 stones. It is not clear, however, why Stukeley believed the circle was not missing a single stone. Today there are several large gaps in the circle, suggesting that a number of stones may have indeed been either moved into a different position (possibly after the stone had fallen) or been removed completely. Of course, there is no certainty today as to the original appearance of the circle, or how much it may have changed in the preceding millennia, prior to Stukeley's visit. It is believed, however, that the circle survives today in a relatively intact state, changed certainly, but not so far from its original design.

Stukeley’s observation of a second circle in the next field is a great revelation that places the stones at Castlerigg in a whole new light; that he fails to deliver a description demonstrates well the frustration felt by modern researchers when dealing with the works of antiquarians. This account could easily be dismissed today as pure fancy or it could be thought that he had mistakenly described a natural feature, as there is no evidence of it today, either above ground or in the observations of later scholars.

19th century study of Castlerigg

The later 19th century saw an increase in research into Castlerigg stone circle. C W Dymond visited the circle in 1878 and 1881, from which visits he produced the first accurate plan of the stones. He marked the position of one of the internal cairns, showing that it was clearly visible at that time, but missed the other two cairns observed by Benjamin Williams in 1856 showing that these two features have never been clearly defined.

The only known archaeological excavation at Castlerigg was carried out by W K Dover in 1882, one year before the site was scheduled. His excavation targeted the internal rectangular enclosure at the eastern side of the circle and his account of his excavation is brief and hidden within details of a day trip to the circle on 5 October, 1882, by members of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, which was published in 1883:

Prior to the visit of the Society some excavations had been made under the superintendence of Mr. W Kinsey Dover, with the view of finding whether the subsoil would disclose anything that might lead to some conclusion as to the age or object of the circle. The following is Mr. Dover’s report: Length of inclosure within the Keswick stone circle, 22 feet, east and west; breadth, 11 feet, north and south. Length opened out, 18 feet to 19 feet; breadth, 3 feet 3 inches, with two cross cuts of about 2 feet. Depth of dark superficial soil to where the yellow undisturbed soil appears, 14 inches, with the exception of a small portion at the west end where the black soil mixed with stones continued to a depth of 3 feet. Near the bottom here, I found what I think to be a few small pieces of burned wood or charcoal, also some dark unctuous sort of earth, a sample of both I brought away.

What subsequently happened to the samples of ‘burned wood or charcoal’ and the ‘dark unctuous sort of earth’ is unknown, other than they are now likely to be lost or, if not, too contaminated to be worth modern scientific analysis. Nevertheless, Dover's excavation is the only one to have been carried out at Castlerigg.

Despite the fact that Dover’s excavation is unlikely to have destroyed all the stratigraphy within the enclosure, thus raising the potential for creating a relative chronological sequence between it and the circle, it is unlikely that further excavation around the stones would ever be permitted.

Recent research

Much of our knowledge and understanding of Castlerigg stone circle has been passed down to us by the work of 18th century antiquarians and 19th century amateurs. Considering that the stone circles of Cumbria in general are of such antiquity, being the earliest stone circles in the whole of Europe, it is surprising that so little work has been carried out here under modern conditions and that none of the stone circles of Cumbria have so far been scientifically dated.

Since the 1960s, the names Aubrey Burl and Alexander Thom have become synonymous with stone circles and both men have contributed significantly to the literature on this subject, whilst taking opposing sides regarding their purpose and significance. The works of Burl strongly support the idea that stone circles were built by primitive and fanatical peasants and that any geometry within the circle, or astronomical alignments, are either purely coincidental or symbolic in nature. Thom, on the other hand, is a proponent of the circle builders being adept astronomers and mathematicians and suggests that these skills can be seen in all stone circles, everywhere. While neither Burl’s nor Thom’s works deal with Castlerigg exclusively, they do attempt to place all the stone circles of Britain in context to each other and to explain their purpose.

English Heritage subjected the scheduled area and the field to its immediate west to a geophysical survey in 1985 in order to improve our understanding of the stone circle and to provide a better interpretation for visitors. A full report of the findings from 1985 has still to be published.

In 2004, Dr Margarita Díaz-Andreu, of the Department of Archaeology at Durham University, commissioned a survey of the stones at Castlerigg in response to claims that prehistoric rock art had been discovered there. A pioneering survey technique that used a laser to record three-dimensional images of the stones was employed. Unfortunately, only graffiti from more recent times was discovered and no trace of the alleged prehistoric carvings was found.

Conservation history

In 1883, Castlerigg stone circle was scheduled; one of the first scheduled ancient monuments in Great Britain and Ireland, thus occupying a small place in the history of archaeological conservation. In 1913, Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, one of the founders of the National Trust, was among the prime organisers of a public subscription which bought the field in which the stone circle stands, which he then donated to the National Trust.

External links

*http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.001001001013006002008 - Information for visitors to Castlerigg Stone Circle
*http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/majorsites/castlerigg.html
*http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/70 - Lots of pictures of Castlerigg Stone Circle
*http://www.stonepages.com/england/castlerigg.html
*http://www.englishheritageprints.com/pictures_430626/Castlerigg-Stone-Circle-J850518.html - English Heritage site selling prints of Castlerigg Stone Circle

ources

*Burl, A (2005) "A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany". London: Yale University.
*Díaz-Andreu, M. Brooke, C. Rainsbury, M. and Rosser, N. (2006) ‘The Spiral that Vanished: The Application of Non-Contact Recording Techniques to an Elusive Rock Art Motif at Castlerigg Stone Circle in Cumbria’, "The Journal of Archaeological Science" 33, 1580-1587.
*Dover, W. K. (1883) in ‘Excursions and Proceedings: Thursday and Friday, October 5th and 6th’ "TCWAAS" VI, 505.
*Dyer, J, "Discovering Prehistoric England", Shire, 2001
*Fraser, D. Howard-Davis, C. Winchester, V. and David, A. (nd) "Castlerigg Stone Circle Documentary and Field Survey." Unpublished draft paper.
*Hodgson, J and Brennand, M (eds.) (2004) "North West Region Archaeological Research Framework Prehistoric Resource Assessment Draft", November 2004.
*Michell, J (1982) "Megalithomania: Artists, Antiquarians, and Archaeologists at the Old Stone Monuments." London: Thames and Hudson.
*Stukeley, W (1969 [1776] ) "Itinerarium Curiosum: or, An Account of the Antiquities, and Remarkable Curiosities in Nature or Art, Observed in Travels through Great Britain, Vol. I". Farnborough: Gregg International Publishers Limited.
*Thom, A. Thom, A. S. and Burl, A. (1980) "Megalithic Rings: Plans and Data for 229 Monuments in Britain", BAR British Series 81. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.
*Trinks, I, Díaz-Andreu, M, Hobbs, R and Sharpe, K E (2005) ‘Digital Rock Art Recording: Visualising Petroglyphs Using 3D Laser Scanner Data’, "Rock Art Research" 22 (2), 131-139.
*Wood, JE, "Sun Moon and Standing Stones", Oxford, 1980