Knipe Moor Stone Circle View all content for Knipe Moor

This circle has been described as 'one for the enthusiast'. We got there by parking up at the foot of the lane that leads to Scarside farm and then walked up the lane to the moor. Check out the lovely collection of stone troughs out side the farm. At the top of the lane go through the gate and take the path to your left. This will lead you to a field wall with forestry on the other side. Follow this wall and it will lead you onto Knipe Scar common. The limestone pavements up here are beautiful and the circle is nestled within the pavements. As Stu says, the only way to spot the circle is to look for the wooden post. The circle itself is a wild tumbled down affair composed of gnarly weather eaten limestone rocks with the odd granite stone thrown in for good measure. The use of limestone seems intentional as there are a few good-sized granite erratics laying around that could have been used. It's worth a walk to the scar edge to check out the view. To the south you can see the smoky plumes of the Corus plant at Shap to the south west is the river Lowther and beyond that the fells of Bampton Common including Four Stones Hill. To the west you can clearly see Moor Divock tucked in between Barton Fell and Heughscar Hill. To the north you can see way past Penrith into North Cumbria. An alternate route to the circle would be to follow the footpath that leads from the A6 and passes the Shapbeck Plantation circle, which is just over a mile to the east. All in all a strange, ruined circle. The use of limestone and a gnarly central stone give it a Derbyshire vibe with the odd granite stone to add some Cumbrian flavour. Well worth checking out

Posted by fitzcoraldo 3rd July 2004ce

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