Stanton Drew Stone Circles

Stanton Drew Stone Circles

Though it is the third-largest stone circle complex in the UK, Stanton Drew has never received the publicity of more well-known circles such as Arbor Low or Avebury. Stanton Drew is composed of three stone circles with associated stone rows, and a 'Cove', a closely spaced set of three stones.

Across the River Chew is a further stone called 'The Outlier' or 'Hautville's Quoit'. It seems most likely that all the stones were erected as part of a single, unified complex.

The Great Circle

The Great Circle at Stanton Drew stands west of the village, and stretches 120 metres in diameter, making it the second-largest in England after Avebury. There are 26 stones remaining in the Great Circle, though there would originally have been more.

Within the Great Circle have been found evidence of numerous post holes and pits, indicating that there may have been structures built within the circle, probably for ceremonial purposes. The entire Great Circle is surrounded by a wide ditch and bank.

An avenue of five stones leads away from the north-east side of the circle. To the north-east of the Great Circle is a second, smaller circle composed of seven stones with an avenue leading from it.

To the south of the village are two further monuments; a circle of 13 stones, and the Cove of three stones (one fallen). The Cove can be seen in the garden of the Druid's Arms pub.

Legends

Two local legends are told about the stones. The first says that the stones were a wedding party who were turned to stone by the Devil. The second says that the stones cannot be counted and that if you try, you will always end up with a different number. Of course, variations on both of these legends are told about numerous other stone circles in Britain!