The Rollright Stones

OVERVIEW

Three prehistoric monuments beside a lane above Long Compton: the King's Men, a circle of some seventy weathered limestone stones of about 2500 BC; the King Stone across the road in Warwickshire; and the Whispering Knights, the remains of a Neolithic burial chamber. The Rollright Trust bought the site in 2001 after a public campaign. It is a Pagan ritual site and the subject of the Dragon Project's 1970s measurements.

HISTORY

Camden's Britannia (1586) records the tale: a king marching to conquer England met a witch who told him that if he could see Long Compton in seven strides he would be king; a mound rose to block the view, and he, his army and four plotting knights were turned to stone, the witch becoming an elder tree. Later versions name her Mother Shipton. The stones were said to be uncountable, to go down to drink at midnight, and to bleed if cut.

REPORTED ACTIVITY

The tradition is one of the oldest recorded in English folklore and is still told at the site; modern visitors report unease and figures among the stones, and the Dragon Project recorded ultrasound at the King Stone at dawn. The entry records folklore with four centuries of paper behind it.

VISITING

Open daily, small entrance fee by honesty box; roadside parking on the lane. Leave no offerings in the stones.