Hethpool stone circles
The stone circles of Hethpool ( English Hethpool Stone Circles ) are in the valley of College Burn, about south of Hethpool, west of Wooler in Northumberland in England .
The closely adjacent stone circles , protected since 1979, are among the largest in the country and are the only example of large stone circles in Northumberland. Such circles are extremely rare in the north of England. Although the site was not accurately dated, its style suggests that it is an early stone circle.
The monument consists of two stone circles on a river terrace at the upper end of the college valley. The visible stones form a ruined circle in the south, while a group of lying stones is in the north. At least seven stones are lying, another six stones from the northern group were found underground during soundings. The largest stones are one meter high. Some have wedges around their bases, meaning they are still in situ . The terrain is criss-crossed by ridges and furrows, which indicates that a field was plowed here in the Middle Ages. At that time, many of the stones were relocated.
The southern oval has a diameter of about 61.0 by 42.7 m with an average distance of 16.0 to 20.0 m between the individual stones. The northern oval measures about 60.0 m by 45.0 m.
One of the stones is decorated with cup-and-ring markings .
The Bronze Age Milfield Henge is located near the Hethpool stone circles.
literature
- Barry M. Marsden: Discovering regional archeology: North-Eastern England. 1971
Web links
Coordinates: 55 ° 32 '37 " N , 2 ° 10' 18.9" W.