The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

The Shap Avenues

Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue

Miscellaneous

"Towards the south end of the village of Shap, near the turnpike road, on the east side thereof, there is a remarkable monument of antiquity, which is an area upwards of half a mile in length, and between 20 and 30 yards broad, encompassed with large stones (which that country abounds) many of them three or four yards in diameter, at 8, 10 or 12 yards distance, which of such immense weight that no carriage now in use could support them. Undoubtedly this hath been a place of druid worship, which they always performed in the open air, within this kind of enclosure, shaded with wood, as this place of old time appears to have been, although now there is scarce a tree to be seen (Shap Thorn only excepted, planted on top of the hill for the direction of travellers). At the high end of this place of worship, there is a circle of the like stones about 80 feet in diameter, which was the sanctum sanctorum (as it were) and place of sacrifice".

From: The History and Antiquities of the Counties of Westmorland and Cumberland
By Joseph Nicolson, Richard Burn
Published 1777
Available via Google Books
fitzcoraldo Posted by fitzcoraldo
7th June 2007ce

Comments (0)

You must be logged in to add a comment