Stone Circle (destroyed?): OS Grid Reference – SD 892 367
Archaeology & History
Set in good landscape with fine views in most directions, it seems that the only thing that remains of this site is a place-name on a map—but I have to say that our search here was only a short one, and so more may be found hiding away in field walls or beneath the ground. However, if we listen to an early account of the place, it was said to have “completely gone by 1856.” A pity, as it was described as being “a large circle of stones.” The monument was used for repairing the nearby road and, in another account, we are told that the stones were added to the walls. Whether this was a cairn circle or a free standing stone circle isn’t known. The prevalence of tumuli close by at Catlow, Burwains, etc, would suggest a cairn circle, yet we have no accounts of human remains here… A puzzle.
References:
- Barnes, Bernard, Man and the Changing Landscape, Liverpool University 1982.
© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian
That’s correct Paul, there’s nothing to see here today, sadly. But I have come across one or two small standing stones cum gate posts close by, but whether these came from the ancient circle at Ringstone, I don’t actually know. A friend of mine who lives at Catlow says there are a few standing stones in the area around Catlow. He showed them to the late author, John Dixon, and he said they looked to be very ancient and with no “water mark” or line? or should that be the other way around – with a “water line”? It looks like we will never know what happened to the stone circle, probably many of the stones were used in farmers’ walls and to build local farm houses.
Thanks Ray. Next time you’re up there, see if you can get any photos of the stones you describe. If they look promising we could add them to the profile of the site.
Thats a little bit sad . . .
Lets hope that lead works out!