The cockpit
The Cockpit is a stone circle on a small plateau in the northwest of Divock Moor in Penrith near Askham in Cumbria in England .
The stone circle in Askham and Barton Fell stands at the intersection of the M6 and the A66, which exists today and where important trade routes already crossed in the Bronze Age . Britain's Bronze Age lasted almost 1500 years and it is difficult to date the stone circle as it has features from the Early and Late Bronze Ages. Its stones are in a low embankment, which indicates a late date. It is more than 28.0 m in diameter and 75 stones, of which more than 20 are about 1.0 m high, which indicates an early date. The Castlerigg stone circle dates back to the Neolithic Age , but has similarities with The Cockpit.
One theory of construction is that instead of digging a hole for each stone, the land was leveled and a complete circle dug up. The stones were leaned against the edge and finally the central area was refilled.
The circle might have had a double ring of stones, but only one ring survived in most places, with a double circle segment on the northwest side. A gap in the western arch could have formed the entrance. There is also a possible access to the northeast.
To the south are the Cockpit Cairns.
literature
- Audrey Burl: A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany . Yale University Press, New Haven 2000, ISBN 978-0-300-08347-7 .
Web links
Coordinates: 54 ° 35 ′ 33.7 " N , 2 ° 48 ′ 7" W.