Information about the Long Meg and her Daughters site.
The stone circle is considered to be the third largest in England after Avebury and Stanton Drew.
Classed as a large, irregular oval stone circle and one of only 45 known in England measuring 350 feet on the long axis
Possibly 70 stones originally - 59 stones today - 27 upright stones.
Long Meg is 12 feet high with the four corners facing the points of the compass.
Stands 80 feet south west of the circle. Made of local red sandstone? from the river Eden 2 miles away.
Long Meg is decorated with cup and ring marks as well as other designs including spirals, concentric circles, ovoids and curved lines.
Daughters made up of greenstone, limestone and a granite (rhyolite )glacial erratics according to Gary Biltcliffe – The Spine of Albion. Late Neolithic/ Early Bronze age (c.2400 – 1000BC)
The circle may have been constructed as a meeting place for religious ritual or burials . Could it have been used to mark important solar or lunar events such as sunrise / sunset at midsummer or midwinter. Maybe it marked the passing of the seasons – like a calendar. Long Meg does align to the midwinter sunset when viewed from the centre of the circle. Over the years it was probably used for a variety of things.
Gary Biltcliffe suggests that the Elen energy line enters the site through the south – facing edge of Long Meg then passes through the circle between the portal stones at the south west entrance to the centre, following the shadow of the mid- winter solstice. At this point, Elen crosses 2 other energy currents – one male, the other female. As Elen crosses a large recumbent stone at the northeast quadrant, she changes path to the north, passing into an area which aerial photography shows as the site of a large ditched enclosure or henge.
The edge of the prehistoric enclosure touches the stone circle to the north where it flattens to form an oval. It is thought that the enclosure pre dates the circle and influenced the shape. Probably Bronze age (c2000 – 00BC).
The cursus enters the site in the south west corner and runs on either side of Long Meg. The function is unknown but they are presumed to be ritual/ ceremonial monuments of the middle and late Neolithic (3300-2500BC).
Aerial photographs suggest that there is an associated cursus (linear earthwork) and a prehistoric enclosure on this site too. Westmorland Dowsers can test their skills in finding these ancient structures. There is plenty of scope to ask questions to understand more about the history of the area.
This information is taken from the Altogether Archeology website and stone-circles.org.uk
Janet Cox 28/09/19