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Whinny Hill

Stone Circle

<b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by postmanImage © Chris Bickerton
Nearest Town:Alnwick (17km SE)
OS Ref (GB):   NU093275 / Sheet: 75
Latitude:55° 32' 27.57" N
Longitude:   1° 51' 9.4" W

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<b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by postman <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by postman <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by postman <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by postman <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by postman <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by postman <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by postman <b>Whinny Hill</b>Posted by postman

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The rock art fraternity have well represented the prehistoric artwork across the road at Chatton hill and Ketley crag, but not one of them have posted anything about this stone circle, ok, it's not on the map but surely I cant be the first to get here?
Tearing through Chatton wee village on the B6348, look out for the parking place to go up Chatton hill, pass it by at speed and continue until you see a right turn at a long gated farm type track, parking room for one.
Strangely, Eric stayed in the car and my daughter Phil came with me, Two locked gates have to be knocked down, I mean climbed over, the track is long and straight and heads for some conifer trees. At the trees turn left through or over yet another locked gate, remember to fume and swear, this is a public footpath.
It was here at this locked gate that I realised I'd left my map in the car, or dropped it on the way down the track, I thought for a second and remembered all the map and google earth perusing I'd done prior to my arrival, even though it was over a mile from the road I was fairly confident of finding it without the map.
So, straight down the track to the confer trees, turn left and follow the path, green fields to the right, open moorland with stone curlew for added drama to the left. As you slowly go up hill, try to aim for the sharp angle of the north tip of Ros hill wood. Eventually we arrive at a wall, over the wall is a small but pretty lake, also not on the map.
Standing by the wall, I knew we close, look left and up hill, can I see a couple of stones peeping over the low but all covering heather, yes indeed I can, move in closer. Philli has come dressed for somewhere other than where we are and declines the opportunity to gaze upon the stones up close, like, so she sits by the wall and watches her dad wander off in the direction of those very interesting stones again.

Because of a single report of two stone holes found here, other reporters have presumed this is something other than a typical four stoner stone circle, but to my fully opened eyes this is absolutely what it looks like, a four poster.
The two big stones are really quite extraordinary stones, the star stone is perhaps a sandstone, red in colour and triangular in section, the sharp end of the triangle points uselessly at open moorland, or perhaps not. The other big stone is grey in hue, bulbous and cracked with dimples. The two smaller stones are, well, smaller, and less noteworthy, they could be larger than they look. One of the more ground hugging stones is about a yard away from a large hole, a hole that is situated perfectly to take up the final corner of the square, er, circle. It cant be anything other than a stone that has somehow come out of place.
The view is very commendable, Chatton hill and it's wealth of rock art and hill fort, the North Sea away over the hill, just visible, and the distant Cheviot hills, and nearer to is the pretty lake, framed with heather surmounted by forest. Whooooop!

I like four posters, and Northumberland.
Off to the seaside we go.
postman Posted by postman
19th May 2017ce
Edited 19th May 2017ce

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Hob Posted by Hob
20th September 2004ce
Edited 5th May 2005ce