Day Seven - Castlerigg Stone Circle & Borrowdale Walk   

Map of the Lake District

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CASTLERIGG STONE CIRCLE

A few miles east of Keswick is one of the oldest Neolithic stone circles in Britain, dating from 5,500 years ago. Castlerigg stone circle is a hundred feet across, with 38 free-standing stones, a few up to 10 feet high. 

People in the Neolithic era were genetically & physically identical to us. They were the first organized crop-growers, animal breeders, and innovators in building methods. Neolithic people gravitated towards living in small wood dwellings in towns, and, synonymous with growing crops, and raising different breeds of animals, they developed vast trading networks.

Clan gatherings & multi-day feasts held at all Neolithic stone circles tended to solidify ancestral & kinship ties, especially among distant relatives. But, unlike nearly all subsequent Neolithic stone circles, Castlerigg had no family burial cairns, nor were the circle's stones oriented to a sunrise (or sunset) winter (or summer) solstice. This was not a ceremonial place, which among historic Stone Circle sites, is an anomaly.  Instead, Castlerigg stone circle gatherings were held for trading a highly-prized green axe, made of volcanic tufa !  

The axes are mined 20 miles south of Keswick, NW of Ambleside, in the incredibly steep and scenic Langdale mountains, where for 60 generations a green volcanic tuff axes were was mined. Archeologists today refer to the source mine as the "Langdale axe factory". 

In the Neolithic era (10,000 to 4,500 BCE) , a polished green axe was the best tool to carry around for utilitarian purposes, like coppicing trees, to make structural wood pieces for walls and a roof, while carrying an un-used axe came to be the status symbol that designated clan leaders, or other persons of wealth & influence.  

Using a green stone axe to honor someone, or, as part of a marriage arrangement, like a dowry, was probably common at such gatherings. 

note - you can enlarge any part of a picture by left-clicking in and then out again.

		Blencathra to the north		two big stones
		I waited for an uncrowded view of the whole circle		beyond the wall, a distant valley
	Rich		early UK  conservationist		an English Heritage site
		our comfortable cruise mobile

Langdale Axe (web images) -

usually 8 in. long x 3 in. wide, weighing 1.75 lbs.

w/broken wooden haft

see note below

 note - The axe factory at Pike O' Sickle, in the Langdale Peaks, was in very steep terrain, only accessible seasonally.  (see epilogue below)

BORROWDALE - Rosthwaite to Seatoller 

Afterwards Rich drove us up narrow roads along the SW shores of Derwent Water, to Rosthwaite, where we found a car park. 

We walked along River Derwent for a few miles, including downstream & upstream parts, until we reached Seatoller. It was overcast & rained lightly, and it was great to be out walking.   

	River Derwent, my wife's phone photo		Rosthwaite		start of the walk
		River Derwent low water crossing		Rowan tree
	R & L				old stone bridge
		rainy day		first-year Herdwick sheep
	around here known as herdies		youth hostel
		bridge to  Seatoller		River Derwent
	cotoneaster		Rich looks right at home at Seatoller
		the OS map shows a footpath up there		preserving old walls
			gnarly old Birch tree
		cafe back at Rosthwaite		fruit scone, w/ clotted cream & jam & an Americano
					men's restroom
		back to the car park		Herdie shop back in Keswick

go to next page - Wm. Wordsworth Homes - Dove Cottage & Rydal Mount

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Epilogue - There is a lot of info online about Langdale stone axes, which remained popular until Iron Age metals came into use. 

Thirty months after the visit (in spring '22) I read two books about the Neolithic era in the UK, which are listed on the bibliography page, and I updated the info about Castlerigg Stone Circle on this page.

Final note about the stone circle - the Romans certainly knew how to pick a defendable spot at a mountain pass, with good views in all directions, when they saw one, and only 15 years ago, ground-penetrating radar uncovered a 90 ft. diameter Roman fort, right next to Castlerigg.