Castlerigg stone circle

Castlerigg stone circle (alternatively Keswick Carles, or Carles) is situated on a prominent hill to the east of Keswick, in the Lake District National Park, North West England. In this period, the Lake District – a mountainous area in which Castlerigg is located – saw particularly high levels of Neolithic stone circle construction, with other similar examples including Swinside, Gamelands, Elva Plain, and Long Meg and Her Daughters. The original purposes of such large stone circles is still debated, although most archaeologists concur that they were built for ritual or ceremonial reasons, with a similar function to henges. Various archaeologists have mentioned the beauty and romance of Castlerigg and its surrounding landscape. In his study of the stone circles of Cumbria, archaeologist John Waterhouse commented that the site was "one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain." Every year, thousands of tourists travel to the site, making it the most visited stone circle in Cumbria. This plateau forms the raised centre of a natural amphitheatre created by the surrounding fells and from within the circle it is possible to see some of the highest peaks in Cumbria: Helvellyn, Skiddaw, Grasmoor and Blencathra.