Castlerigg Stones

Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain and is spectacularly situated within a panorama of rugged hills near Keswick in the Lake District. This plateau forms a natural amphitheatre created by the surrounding fells and from within the circle it is possible to see some of the highest peaks in Cumbria. The circle consists of 38 stones of various sizes and shapes; they are all un-hewn boulders, some standing over 5 feet in height, although some have fallen in the 5000 years since their erection. The heaviest stone has been estimated to weigh around 16 tons. It has been suggested there were originally 41 stones, so Castlerigg is relatively well preserved when compared with other circles. It is important to archaeoastronomers who have noted that the sunrise during the Autumn equinox appears over the top of Threlkeld Knott, a hill 3.5 km to the east. Some stones in the circle have been aligned with the midwinter sunrise and various lunar positions.

On a more mysterious level the circle has been the focus of one well-recorded sighting of strange light phenomena. In 1919 a man called T. Singleton and his friend watched as white light-balls moved slowly over the stones. Strange lights seem to be a recurring theme at ancient sites throughout the world, they may have been one of the reasons ancient man built monuments at specific sites. There has been a lot of speculation as to their nature; it is most probable they are part of some natural phenomena related to fault lines. This panorama art print has been given a deep textured effect and brown tone that brings an ancient feel to the scene.

Photography by Jason Wickens.