Long Meg

Long Meg and her Daughters, stone circle

Long Meg

Where is it – England, North West England

Who looks after it –  Local partnership 

What is it –  Free access, Legend, Prehistoric site, Stone Circle or Henge 

When is it from – Prehistory

Long Meg and Her Daughters is the third largest stone circle in England (after Avebury in Wiltshire and Stanton Drew in Somerset). The circle is in fact an oval approximately 360 feet (100 metres) by 305 feet (93 metres) and consists of 59 or 69 stones, depending which account you believe. Of course, one of the legends associated with Long Meg and Her Daughters is that the stones cannot be counted. Long Meg herself stands about 20 feet 6.1 metres) apart from Her Daughters (the circle stones) and is around 12 feet (3.6 metres) high with prehistoric artwork on her circle-facing side. It is thought that the stones were placed during the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age, c2400 – 1000 BC and were likely to have been used as a meeting place or for some type of ritual (which covers most bases, I suppose). Long Meg is made of local red sandstone, whereas the daughters are glacial erratics and a type of granite, rhyolite.

The most famous of the many legends associated with the stones is that they were a 13th century coven of witches who were turned to stone by Michael Scot, a wizard from Scotland. If you actually manage to count the stones twice and come to the same total, the spell will be broken. If Meg is shattered, she will run with blood. If you walk round the circle, count the correct number of stones and put your ear to Long Meg, you will hear her whisper.

There are other prehistoric remains nearby, including at least two, much smaller, stone circles, or cairns, Little Meg and Glassonby. Both are in poor condition and have carvings on them. Lacy’s Caves are nearby.

If visiting by car, a car park has now been created.  Otherwise, park in Little Salkeld, take the Glassonby Road and follow a track to the left about 0.25 miles out of the village.

 


Address

Little Salkeld, Cumbria CA10 1NN 

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