Hethpool Stone Circle View all content for Hethpool

There are actually two ruined circles. They're on a flat gravel plain, in a sheltered valley, next to a river. The access is good, as there is a car park at the edge of the field. There's even an information board, which curiously makes no mention of the circles. The northern circle is almost totally wrecked, with only a couple of boulders standing to over 1m. The circles are the largest I've found in Northumberland, and quite unlike those to the south on the Whin Sill, and very different from that at Duddo. They don't even bear a passing resemblance to the nearest circle across the hills at Five Stanes. The southern circle is slightly better preserved, but still has only 9 stones easily found. And 7 are now recumbent, though the packing stones around them indicate this was not always so. There are other stones buried beneath both circles. It's difficult to say if these were always such open circles, as there were a lot of stones removed in medieval times. Smaller ones would leave no trace. There is a artificial bank leading down to the river, and building on the other side, so this might be a place to look for any of the missing stones.

Posted by Hob 18th March 2004ce

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