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

White Hag

Stone Circle

Fieldnotes

White Hag has been on my mind ever since my attempts to find it back in the winter of 2003.
So on a sweltering hot day, which was the total opposite to my last visit I, headed off up the path from the Orton to Shap road.
OK so here's the route.
Once you climb the first hill and begin to head slightly downhill you'll notice a line of grouse butts beside a small lake/large pond, this is marked as Black Dub on the OS map. Leave the path and head along this valley, which is the headwaters of the Lyvennet Beck. Once past the butts you'll see the monument, head for this and then along the valley. Ahead of you and on the higher ground you'll see a large glacial erratic, a huge megalithic plum sitting on the valley side. Head for this stone, the circle is about 200m past this stone and close to the corner of the dry stone wall.
This is a beautiful little circle composed of 11 granite boulders with a diameter of about 5 metres. 5 metres may be tiny but the stones used are all of a decent size and make the circle appear larger than it actually is.
The circle is far from the only feature, about 6m west there are four good sized stones set in a sort of rectangle.
About 6m to the south of circle is another large stone that could be an outlier to the circle.
Some 15m north of the circle is a small hillock with a curious half buried arrangement of small stones which could be natural but had the vibe of a cairn to me.
The views from the circle are absolutely crackin'. To the NNE, on a clear day, is a view right into the hugely magical valley of High Cup Nick in the far-off Pennines. To the south are marvellous vistas of the Howgill Fells with their lofty rounded peaks and deep valleys.

White Hag is a lovely circle and well worth the effort. Get yerself there!
fitzcoraldo Posted by fitzcoraldo
30th June 2005ce

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