Home
TWG Radio
Introduction
The Elements
Wheel of the Year
Liber Scriptorium
News
Online Journals
Chatroom
White Goddess Forum
Articles
Book Of Shadows
Guestbook
Pagan Resources
Witches Almanac
Divination
The Tarot
The Goddess
The Gods
The Paranormal
Herborium
Photo Galleries
Historic Sites
Site Map
Contact

The Great Wonders Of Nature
The Dying Sun King
The Lighted Path
Catechism Of The Goddess
Circle Of Fire
I
Remebering
Awake!
Summers Thought!
The Dreaming
Echoes of the Dreamtime

MagicFolk

Historic Sites: Rollright Stones, Near Great Rollright, Oxfordshire

 


Rollright Stones

Near Great Rollright
Oxfordshire

The Rollright Stones: Near Great Rollright, Oxfordshire, and signposted from the A3400. They're open daily, sunrise to sunset for a very reasonable charge - it was 50p last time I went. Parking is in a lay-by in the adjoining lane.

There are three main elements - the circle known as the King's Men, the King Stone and a group called the Whispering Knights. Believed to be a neolithic ceremonial site dating from around 2500 BCE. The circle is 104 feet in diameter and stands on the edge of a sharply sloped ridge which carries a prehistoric trackway. It contains 77 stones of various sizes in local limestone that is notable for its various holes. It's possible to look through some of them at the rest of the site.

There's a great tale about how the stones got there. The king stone is reputed to be an ambitious lord who wanted to rule all England. He asked a local witch if he would be successful and she told him that if he took seven strides and could see the neighbouring village of Long Compton he would succeed. He set off but just has he took the last stride a huge barrow rose up in front of him, obscuring the view. And he was turned to stone. His faithful followers were turned into the circle and the other group were men who were opposed to him and had plotted his downfall.

Another legend says that if someone counts the stones three times and gets the same number every time, they'll die. On the other hand another tale says if you get the same number three times you'll get your heart's desire.

The photos were taken two summers ago when the stones played host to a piece of sculpture by the artist Anish Kapoor. Called Turning the World Inside Out, the huge mirrored shape was loaned from Bradford Museums and Galleries as part of the Art Fund project, which aims to bring works of art into unusual places to be encountered by all.

(Photographs ©2005 Norn)

	Photo Gallery    [3 images]
	Rollright Stones	Rollright Stones	Rollright Stones	Rollright Stones	Rollright Stones
	Rollright Stones

Yule - Dec 21st/22nd
Imbolc - Feb 2nd
Ostara - Mar 21st/22nd
Beltane - April 30th/May 1st
Lithia - June 21st/22nd
Lammas - July 31st/Aug 1st
Mabon - Sept 23rd/24th
Samhain - Oct 31st

More on the Sabbats »

Yule - June 21st
Imbolc - August 1st
Ostara - September 21st/22nd
Beltane - Oct 31st/Nov 1st
Lithia - Dec 21st/22nd
Lammas - Feb 1st/2nd
Mabon - March 21st
Samhain - April 30th/May 1st

More on the Sabbats »

Stonewylde