Neolithic cross-roads?

Regular readers of the blog will know that I have mentioned Castlerigg Stone Circle a few times.  Any who have visited will know that it is in a stunning, elevated setting with glorious panoramic views of the surrounding fells.  It dates to somewhere around 4.5 thousand years ago and is one of the oldest Neolithic circles in Britain.  It became one of the earliest scheduled ancient monuments of Great Britain & Ireland in 1883 and was purchased and donated to the National Trust in 1913 when Canon Rawnsley organised a public subscription.

The stones are of a local metamorphic slate with the heaviest being estimated to weigh around 16 tons and the tallest stone measuring approximately 2.3m high. Some stones in the circle have been aligned with the midwinter sunrise and various lunar positions.  There is a tradition that attempts to count the stones will produce different answers and there may be some truth in this.  It all depends on which stones you count.  Some that are now visible are probably stones used merely to pack and stabilise the larger stones. 

There are many theories for the building of the circle but nobody really knows what Neolithic stone circles were used for.  Part of the charm of these sites is that we can each enjoy imagining their use.  Your theory might just be right. 

Current thinking links Castlerigg with the Langdale stone axe industry.  The site is situated at the junction between several valleys and the main intersection between the routes from the coast to the Eden Valley and to the Central Fells.  If you plotted the axe factory sites in central lakes, the obvious route from the coast would be to head for Castlerigg and follow the Armboth Ridge through to the Langdale fell and central Scafell Massif where the majority of the stone axe factory sites are to be found.  Langdale axes have been found in many ritual sites so it’s possible that trade and exchange of the axes would take place with ritual and ceremony at a site like Castlerigg.

Langdale was important for axe production because of the greenstone (Borrowdale volcanic series) to be found there.  When napped it fractures with a fish-hook-style fracture – a shape that lends itself to the production of good tools and axes.  These were of such quality that they were traded across Europe.

There is plenty of other evidence for Neolithic activity in the area.  Some years ago I helped to document burial mounds on Armboth Fell overlooking the circle.  We also have examples of cup & ring rock art in the Borrowdale valley.  So there is no doubt that this area was a hive of activity then.

All of which makes this a site with some special qualities.  You really need to visit to ‘feel’ the place and maybe even imagine your own stories.