The Eternal

Banniside Stone Circle in its landscape. Taken from part way up Coniston Old Man. The obvious track is the Walna Scar pass.

The SW slabs in detail.

Looking SW.

View from W edge looking NE.

View from the N edge looking SW.

View from the centre looking SSW.

View from the centre looking S.

View from the centre looking N.

From outside the S edge looking N.

From elevated position in NE looking SW into the circle (in the foreground).

From E edge looking NW.

A view looking south on the first northern cairn of Troutbeck Tongue when approaching from the south, showing the two small chambers.

Another photo of the first large cairn at the north end of Troutbeck Tongue when approaching from the south.

The northernmost, overgrown cairn. Boulders under moss, grass and reeds. A substantial cairn.

The large cairn at the north end of Troutbeck Tongue showing the two small chambers.

Two small, ancient cairns a hundred feet south of and before the larger cairns.

This is a view of the south wall of Carrock Fell hillfort, looking SW. The wall is quite substantial at this point, being 4 to 5 feet high, and a good 20 feet thick. Gateways are at he N, S, E and W. This part of the wall appears to be in its original form, except for a reduction in height. There appears to be signs of a ditch on both sides, much silted in, which is understandable due to the harsh weather. Perhaps some of the stones were excavated from this ditch, but most could have been taken from the summit rocks.

This is a view of the south wall of Carrock Fell hillfort, looking S. The wall is quite substantial at this point, being 4 to 5 feet high, and a good 20 feet thick. Gateways are at he N, S, E and W. This part of the wall appears to be in its original form, except for a reduction in height. There appears to be signs of a ditch on both sides, much silted in, which is understandable due to the harsh weather. Perhaps some of the stones were excavated from this ditch, but most could have been taken from the summit rocks.

Over 2,174 feet above sea level, this hillfort was built on the summit of Carrock Fell, where an oasis of rock rises above the desert of grass. This must have been a much different landscape when the hillfort was first built, with woodland growing to a much higher altitude than today. I haven’t been able to find the date of construction, but it is assumed to be “ancient British”. The views are outstanding, and anyone approaching the occupants would have been spotted a long way off.