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Showing posts with the label Stone Circles

Stones of Avebury

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Avebury is a village in the county of Wiltshire in England known for containing a significant number of ancient monuments. The most famous monument is the Avebury Stone Circle. Avebury Stone Circle is the world's largest stone circle, comprising of other monuments within it, including a cove and two stone circles. The stone circle is located inside the henge that encircles part of Avebury village. Some stones at Avebury have names and these names are based on the stories that are related to the stones. Most of the stones are part of the stone circles. But two of them form a stone setting that is believed to be older than the stone circles. DEVIL'S CHAIR This stone got its name from a naturally formed seat on one side of the stone. Directly above the seat is a hole known as "chimney". Legend has it that if you run around the stone anti-clockwise, you will summon the Devil. RING STONE The Ring Stone is a broken piece of stone once smashed by an enraged church minister.

Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle

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Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle is a Bronze Age monument constructed over 3,000 years ago, using dolerite stones. The stone circle is comprised of 15 stones arranged in a rough circle. However, some people believe that there may once have been as many as 30 stones. The tallest stone was once one of a pair and these would have formed the entrance into the circle. The remaining stone stands close to the line of the Southern moonrise. Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle is located near the village of White Grit in the county of Shropshire in England. © All rights reserved

Cerrig Duon Complex

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The Cerrig Duon Complex consists of a stone circle, stone rows, a standing stone and an arrangement of stones. These monuments date back to the Bronze Age period (between 2500 - 800 BC) and probably were part of a ceremonial site. The stone circle comprises 20 stones that rise to no more than 0.6m in height. There are two stone rows nearby the stone circle but it can be very difficult to see them because of their size. The Maen Mawr Standing Stone is the largest stone of the complex. This stone aligns with other two small stones. Some people suggest that Maen Mawr acts like the gnomon of a sundial, projecting a shadow that aligns with the small stones on midsummer day. The Compass Stones are an arrangement of stones not very far from the stone circle. The high points of the stones are aligned to the cardinal points. Some people believe that this could have been a cairn. The Cerrig Duon Complex is located in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. © All rights reserved

Lesser Known Ancient Sites in Wiltshire

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Wiltshire is home to some of the most impressive ancient sites in England. Some of them are well known and attract thousands of visitors every year. But there are also some lesser known sites that are worth a closer look. LANHILL LONG BARROW Lanhill Long Barrow also known as Hubba's Low, is a Neolithic chambered long barrow constructed about 5,000 years ago. Evidence suggests that the barrow had three burial chambers, but only one survives. Unfortunately much of the barrow was destroyed by farmers over the last centuries. It was once included among the most important antiquities in Wiltshire. The barrow was partially excavated in 1909. Several human skeletons were found in the chambers. COATE STONE CIRCLE Coate Stone Circle is a partly visible stone circle containing five recumbent sarsen stones. Based on his observations in the 1890s, the antiquarian A. D. Passmore suggested that the circle would have once contained over thirty stones. He recorded nine stones surviving as part of

Top Ancient Sites in Cornwall

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Cornwall is a county in Southwest England and it's known for its beautiful landscape and also for the huge amount of ancient sites. Cornwall is a delight for explorers and people interested in learning more about life in ancient times. Here we list 9 ancient sites that are totally worth a visit. MEN-AN-TOL Men-an-Tol consists of four granite stones: a holed stone with two upright stones to each side arranged in a line and a fallen stone at the foot of one of the upright stones. It's believed that this monument dates to either the late Neolithic or the early Bronze Age period. The real purpose of this arrangement is unknown. It's believed that this site was used for ritual and ceremonial purposes. Legend has it that the holed stone can cure children suffering from rickets if they are passed through the hole nine times. The stone was also believed to increase women's fertility. TRETHEVY QUOIT Trethevy Quoit is an impressive portal dolmen (cromlech) consisting of five stan

Ancient Healing Stones of England

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For a long time it has been assumed that magnetic anomalies exist at certain ancient sites. These sites include stone circles, monoliths and megalithic structures. The ancient people knew how to harness the energies of the earth. They constructed megalithic sites that would attract ground currents and turn the sites into places with powerful energies. The locations for these megalithic sites were not chosen at random. They were constructed nearby or above sources of primary water. Water and stones together act as powerful energy conductors between the heavens, the atmosphere and the surface and depths of the earth. That's why most of the ancient megalithic sites and standing stones were deliberately placed and aligned in order to conduct these electro-magnetic currents. The stones store and generate energy fields and released them in the surrounded area.  This energy would be enhanced by the choice of the stone, usually stones rich in quartz. Depending on the type of stones, they c

Top Ancient Sites in Wiltshire

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If you are on the lookout for places to bother stones, Wiltshire is certainly one of the best destinations in Great Britain. Wiltshire is a historic county in England known for the stunning prehistoric landscape and the ancient sites. It's a place to wander around and explore England's past. STONEHENGE Stonehenge is an obvious choice for this list. This impressive monument is part of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument consisting of a ring of massive standing stones and horizontal stone lintels capping the outer circle. Two different types of stone (bluestones and sarsens) were used to build it. Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. AVEBURY HENGE AND STONE CIRCLES Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles. It's believed that the complex was constructed between 2850 BC and 2200 BC. The henge survives as a huge circular bank and ditch. Within the h

Gray Hill Stone Circle

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Gray Hill is a red sandstone hill in South Wales known for its prehistoric remains which include cairns, standing stones and a stone circle. Gray Hill Stone Circle is a small circle of stones dating to the Bronze Age, about 4000 years ago. Just outside the circle stands a monolith which aligns with another standing stone located some meters away to the north-west of the hill. The purpose of the circle is unknown. Some people believe that the stone circle could have outlined a burial mound and the adjacent standing stone marked the entrance to the monument. But there is no evidence to support this theory. Gray Hill Stone Circle is located on the top of Gray Hill near Chepstow in Wales. © All rights reserved

Top Ancient Sites in Oxfordshire

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Oxfordshire is a landlocked county in the region of Southeast England. The county is mostly known for being home to the city of Oxford and its prestigious university. But the county is also home to extensive prehistoric landscapes and ancient sites. Here is a list of the top ancient sites in this amazing county. ROLLRIGHT STONES The Rollright Stones consist of a complex of three Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments. The monuments are known as the King's Men, the Whispering Knights and the King Stone. The three monuments were built at different periods in late prehistory from local oolitic limestone and had distinct purposes. The Whispering Knights was the first of the monuments to be constructed in the area. The monument consist of the remains of a Neolithic portal dolmen used as a place of burial. Evidence suggests that the Whispering Knights is one of the earliest funerary monuments in Britain. It was constructed around 3,500 BC. The King's Men Stone Circle is a circle of about

Top Ancient Sites in Somerset

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Somerset is a rural county in South West England, offering a wide range of prehistoric landscapes in addition to impressive ancient sites. The county has a long history of settlement and is known to have been settled from Palaeolithic times. It's steeped in history and folklore, making it the perfect place to explore England's past. Here is a list of the top ancient sites in this amazing county. GLASTONBURY TOR Glastonbury Tor is certainly one of the most iconic ancient sites in England. It's a hill with a 14th century tower on its top which is all that remains of St. Michael's Church. Glastonbury Tor is a conical hill that rises 158m above the Avalon Marshes. Its peculiar shape is due to a combination of the unusual geology and the distinctive terraces surrounding the hill. The top of the hill is formed from a succession of rocks assigned to the Bridport Sand Formation. These rocks sit upon clay and limestones deposited during the early Jurassic Period. Read more about

Devil's Quoits

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The Devil's Quoits is a henge and stone circle in the county of Oxfordshire. It's believed that the henge is from the Neolithic Period, between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. The stone circle may have been put up at a later date, in the Early Bronze Age. The site was seriously damaged by the construction of an airfield in 1940. Excavations carried out in the 1970's and 1988, revealed the stone circle and the henge. The site was restored between 2002 and 2008, with stones which had fallen over being re-erected and the surrounding earthworks rebuilt. The name of the site is associated with a legend that states that the Devil once played quoits with a beggar for his soul and won by flinging the big stones. The Devil's Quoits is located near the village of Stanton Harcourt in England. © All rights reserved