38 stones remain, here at Castlerigg, though archaeologists expect that there were once many more. Dating back to around 3200BC this stone circle at Keswick is thought to be amongst the earliest throughout Europe.

Admission is free and although it can get busy during peak holiday periods. We arrived on a rather damp school holiday day, and apart from a few sheep and one other family, we had the place to ourselves to wander and wonder at this historical masterpiece.

The dramatic clouds in the sky added to the whole mystique and it felt as though this would be an excellent place to watch the dawn rise or the sun set.

Getting to Castlerigg Stone Circle

There is limited roadside parking at Castlerigg. The satellite map below gives an idea of the distance to the stones from the road. The circle lies south east of Keswick and is signposted from both the A66 and the A591

It can get very busy in the summer and as there are only a few road parking spots close to the Circle, these fill up quickly. Additional parking is available in Keswick town Centre and this easy circular walk from Keswick to Castlerigg will take you around two hours (4.5 miles - 7km).