Rollright Stones - a megalithic circle on the edge of Oxfordshire
On a limestone ridge just north of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, stand the Rollright Stones - dating back nearly 6000 years.
This ancient site is not a single circle, but three separate groups of stones that include a stone circle, a solitary standing stone, and a cromlech, or burial mound. Together, the three clustered sites span the period 3,800-1500 BC.
The complex of megalithic monuments lies on the boundary between Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, on the edge of the Cotswold hills.
The traditional story is that the stones represent a monarch and his courtiers petrified by a witch, the Rollright Stones consist of three groups: the King's Men stone circle; the Whispering Knights burial chamber; and the single King Stone.
The oldest, the Whispering Knights dolmen, is early Neolithic, circa 3,800-3,500 BC, the King's Men stone circle is late Neolithic, circa 2,500 BC; and the King Stone is early to middle Bronze Age, circa 1,500 BC.
The Stones are made of natural boulders of Jurassic oolitic limestone which forms the bulk of the Cotswold hills. This stone has been used extensively in the region for building everything from churches and houses to stone walls. The boulders used to construct the Rollright Stones were probably collected from within 500m of the site.
A few of the stones were re-erected by the landowner in the Victorian period. The land is now owned by a charity, the Rollright Trust, and the stones can be visited, with a small donation requested.
Further reading
Links to external websites are not maintained by Bite Sized Britain. They are provided to give users access to additional information. Bite Sized Britain is not responsible for the content of these external websites.