Swinside

The stone circle of Skiddaw (named after a local legend also Sunkenkirk ) is located in the Lake District in Cumbria (England). It dates from the Bronze Age and is one of the most impressive stone circles in Europe. His hybrid concept has the Ballynoe Stone Circle in Northern Ireland as the only counterpart. Ballynoe and Skiddaw lie at 54 ° 17 ' north, on both sides of the Irish Sea. The circle in very good condition has 28.5 m in diameter.

The stone circle of Skiddaw is surrounded by a mountain backdrop on artificially raised ground, about eight kilometers north of Millom. 55 of the original 60 standing stones have been preserved, of which 32 were still in situ. The largest stone is approximately 2.5 m high column at the northernmost point of the circle. A 2.1 m wide access on the south side is marked by stone lying outside pair. A similar approach has the Stone Circle Long Meg and her Daughters, Little Salkeld in the near. Archaeological investigations at the beginning of the 20th century showed that the stones are embedded in a pebble layer. The circle stands on private land, but can be viewed from a nearby public footpath.