Long Meg and Daughters
 Prehistoric Britain |
Close by Penrith, in Cumbria, lies the third largest British stone circle, measuring around 100 metres in diameter. This enormous ring, known as the Daughters, is accompanied by a tall outlier standing some 72 metres from the circle's centre, this is Long Meg herself.
Long Meg is the tallest of the stones at just over 3.5 metres in height, a huge chunk of impressive red sandstone bearing faint tracings of spiral carvings on her flat side. These "cup-and-ring" markings are typically Bronze Age in style, probably dating from around 1500BC. As the decorated flank of Long Meg faces away from the circle it has been suggested that the outlier and ring may not be contemporary.
It has been further speculated that the spiral carvings may well reflect Meg's astronomical alignment. A standing stone set apart from the main formation is often astronomically significant. This would appear to be the case here, for the midwinter sun sets directly over the tip of the outlier when viewed from the centre of the circle.
The 59 uprights comprising the Daughters form more of an oval than a circle and, unusually for ancient sites, are set upon quite a pronounced slope. As befits such an enormous circle the stones are large in size and weighty, the largest tipping the scales at almost 29 tons. Definite traces of the site being a henge remain, aerial photographs reveal that the circle was enclosed by a ditch and bank.
Many local traditions and folktales are attached to the stone circle. Local folklore has Long Meg and her Daughters as a coven of witches turned to stone by a powerful wizard (or saint) whilst celebrating their sabat in the 13th century. A curse supposedly lies on anyone trying to remove the stones - an attempt to destroy them in the 18th century was aborted due to a sudden and ferocious thunderstorm. In common with other megalithic circles the number of standing stones are said to be uncountable - should anyone correctly count their number twice in succession, the wizard's spell will be undone. Another colourful tale warns that should Long Meg herself be damaged, then she will bleed.