Castlerigg stone circle

Castlerigg Stone Circle
Castlerigg Stone Circle
Castlerigg Location in England, United Kingdom
54°36′10″N 3°05′54″W
Type	Stone circle
Periods	Neolithic / Bronze Age
Location	England, United Kingdom
History
Built	c. 3200 BC
Site notes
Owner	English Heritage
Scheduled monument
Designated	18 August 1882
Reference no.	1011362

Castlerigg stone circle (alternatively Keswick Carles, or Carles) is situated on a prominent hill to the east of Keswick, in the Lake District National Park, North West England.

In this period, the Lake District – a mountainous area in which Castlerigg is located – saw particularly high levels of Neolithic stone circle construction, with other similar examples including Swinside, Gamelands, Elva Plain, and Long Meg and Her Daughters. The original purposes of such large stone circles is still debated, although most archaeologists concur that they were built for ritual or ceremonial reasons, with a similar function to henges.

Various archaeologists have mentioned the beauty and romance of Castlerigg and its surrounding landscape. In his study of the stone circles of Cumbria, archaeologist John Waterhouse commented that the site was "one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain."

Every year, thousands of tourists travel to the site, making it the most visited stone circle in Cumbria. This plateau forms the raised centre of 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: Helvellyn, Skiddaw, Grasmoor and Blencathra.