Porlock Stone Circle

Porlock Stone Circle stands on Exmoor in Somerset, 4.5 kilometres south-west of Porlock village. It sits at nearly 415 metres above sea level on a gentle slope facing south-west. The circle measures about 24 metres across and contains thirteen green micaceous sandstone rocks. A small lead wheel found inside suggests Roman visitors once came here. A cairn and stone row lie just north-east of the ring. The land around is dotted with Bronze Age burial mounds. Archaeologists believe the circle was built between 3300 and 900 BCE. Harold St George Gray surveyed it in 1928, and Mark Gillings led another dig in 2013. The stones may represent supernatural beings to their builders. Only two stone circles survive on Exmoor, making this one rare. Nearby earthworks like Berry Castle date from the Iron Age. Visitors see a low ring of scattered stones on open moorland. From the circle, several round barrows rise on the skyline. The ground slopes gently, offering wide views across Exmoor. Berry Castle’s ramparts lie a short walk to the east. The quiet landscape holds traces of many ancient monuments.