Castlerigg Ancient Stone Circle Visit
The History:
As a collection of 38 massive stones assembled in an impressive circle atop a steeply inclined hill in the Lake District, Castlerigg remains one of the oldest prehistoric monuments in England. The site is vital for understanding Late Neolithic to Middle Bronze Age archaeology and anthropology as it was established around 4500 years ago, in 3000-2000 BCE.
Not only is this site compelling to us modern humans, but it was a spiritual and social place of connection for early humans in the Northwest of England. The people who built Castlerigg were part of a well-developed society of tribes that speckled North-western England and Scotland. These humans were not that different from what we are today!
Neolithic societies likely used Castlerigg Stone Circle for ritual purposes, which can be inferred from the usage of other stone circles across Britain during this period. The stones are assembled in a thoughtful and purposeful design, which indicates that the geomancy of the stones could have been laid to accommodate burials in the area, such as cairns, barrows, or other internments. Some stone circles have perfect alignments for solstices, seasonal events, and solar or lunar calendar events, but archaeologists and historians have yet to find the intended purpose of Castlerigg Stone Cirlce. I will propose some theories in the book later!
The Journey:
The hike up to Castlerigg Stone Circle from the lake shores of Keswick was a phenomenal journey. Along the way, we passed plenty of happy coos, sheep, chickens, ducks, and horses in local farms and fields. It took us about 40 minutes to walk from the Keswick town centre to the site (which, by the way, is protected by the National Trust and is a Scheduled Monument of World Heritage Sites!)
The Legacy:
It is beautiful to imagine and theorise about life at Castelrigg, the structure of these tribes’ prehistoric societies, and the spiritual nature that compelled them to construct such a monument.
I will have much more information about the topics I briefly covered on Castlerigg in the book, but I hesitate to give too much away too soon! Writing this chapter has been an inspiring step for the book and has given my brain much to mull over. I tend to leave each site with more questions than answers, but this kind of mystery is precisely what has drawn me to archaeology in the first place.
References:
Collyer, Chris. “Castlerigg Neolithic / Bronze Age Stone Circle.” Castlerigg Stone Circle - Keswick, Cumbria, www.stone-circles.org.uk/stone/castlerigg.htm. Accessed 6 July 2024.
“History of Castlerigg Stone Circle.” English Heritage, www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/castlerigg-stone-circle/history/. Accessed 6 July 2024.
“National Trust Heritage Records Online.” MNA118469 | National Trust Heritage Records, heritagerecords.nationaltrust.org.uk/HBSMR/MonRecord.aspx?uid=MNA118469. Accessed 6 July 2024.
