Long Meg and Her Daughters

Long Meg and Her Daughters is a Neolithic stone circle near Penrith in Cumbria. It stands on a terrace above the River Eden, surrounded by other ancient monuments. The circle contains 66 stones, though only 27 remain upright today. Long Meg herself is a tall red sandstone monolith standing outside the circle to the southwest. Her surface bears carved spirals and concentric rings, similar to designs found at Newgrange in Ireland. The stones include red, white and grey types, with some quartz crystals placed deliberately. The site is part of a wider complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments. Nearby are the smaller Little Meg circle and Mayburgh Henge at Eamont Bridge. A spring lies just above the northern edge of the enclosure, and the land slopes down to the river. The circle’s layout may align with solar and lunar events, marking solstices and equinoxes. Some stones appear positioned to track the movements of the sun and moon throughout the year. Visitors find a quiet, open space where the stones stand on gently sloping ground. The red sandstone of Long Meg contrasts with the grey and white of the other stones. Carved markings can be seen on several surfaces, including spirals and cup-and-ring designs. The surrounding terrace offers views across the Eden valley to distant hills. The atmosphere is one of ancient stillness, with no modern distractions nearby.