Hiya Hob,

Those stones at the front of Ashdown House are indeed still there and I have done some fieldwork and reasearch. I will attempt to explain where I'm coming from and how far I've got in my investigations...

1) I do not believe that the stones are in any man made configuration (or alignment) as at say, Carnac in Brittany. Some eraly references and authors seem to hypothesis this.

2)Geologically, there was once many sarsens (or grey wethers) in the area and vicinty. Much fieldwalking in the area reveals so many smaller ones (and ones up to 4ft ish) that have been tossed aside at the edge of fields (they are extremely annoying/damaging for any farmers plough's). 20th century farming techniques and the maximisation of the arable land on the downs has meant that most of the larger sarsens have been removed. The area in front of Ashdown house has been saved from this intensive farming. The abundance of sarsens in this area is most likely to be a geological phenomena. The sarsens in the area were laid down in a ice age when the downs were formed by glaciation. Next to Ashdown house is the edge of the hills and I can't help feeling that the drop caused the deposition of them in the area.

3)local folklore is that they were encouraged and set up in front of Ashdown house as a kind of 'folly' (sort of early landscape design feature!) - this I cannot verify, but I do hear it a lot!.

4)Ashdown house was once a hunting lodge and the present woods that surround it are a pale version of what they once were. On earlier maps I've seen, the woods extend over the area where the stones exist, so I guess that they have always been there and are a geological phenomena. This is the best explanation for there appearance in the area.

5)Finally, a good theory that I have discussed with a few interested people in the local area, is that it would make a good 'Sarsen shop' for neolithic communities in the area. I think if those stones have always been there in abundance, then it would make a good resource for long barrow building. Maybe the stones for Waylands Smithy were sourced from there?

BTW - Ashdown house is a very good day out. Although NT property, the guide and tour (runs twice a day i think) is about 4quid. You get the history of the house, but best of all you get to go up on the roof and get a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. In the vicinity is Alfreds Castle (a hillfort cum Romano-British farmstead), three round barrows on a ridge and some excellent flint tool hunting country - worth a good day out with a picnic (you can lounge in the grounds before the tour).

Hope this helps and not confuses. Have lots more history on sarsens and the like in the local area if you are interested.

WF xxx