Swinside

Swinside is a stone circle beside Swinside Fell in southern Cumbria, part of the Lake District’s Black Combe. It stands on rough ground reached by a 2¼ km uphill walk from Swinside Farm. The ring is made of local slate and measures about 28 metres across. Fifty-five stones remain today, though sixty once stood in the circle. An entrance on the south-eastern side is marked by two tall portal stones outside the ring.

Archaeologists recognise Swinside as one of the finest circles in north-western Europe. Aubrey Burl called it the loveliest of all circles in this region. John Waterhouse compared its visual impact only to Castlerigg and Long Meg and Her Daughters. The site forms part of a wider ritual landscape around the Millom Peninsula known as the Millom Lines. These henges and circles stretch across roughly twenty kilometres of coastline.

Visitors follow a rough track past Crag Hall to reach the circle. The stones stand in open fell with wide views over the surrounding fells. The entrance faces south-east, framed by the two portal stones. The circle’s slate slabs weather to a grey tone, blending with the landscape. No modern buildings or roads disturb the setting, so the ancient ring remains undisturbed.