Although
the
Duddo Five Stones do not constitute one of the largest or best
known circles they are certainly one of the most spectacularly
located. The Five Stones are in
a field near Duddo village and stand at the summit of a low hill
in
the foothills of the Cheviots. The walk to approach the circle is a
delight
as they stand out against the horizon from the aspect of the
approaching
visitor, enticing you onwards towards them. As you might expect there
are
extensive views across the surrounding countryside from this site.
The stones themselves have been sculpted by the erosive power of the elements, standing as they do in an exposed position. This has meant that they have become deeply channelled by rain which has lent an individual character to each stone. Five stones currently stand although one was re-erected (recently relative to the age of the stone circle) in the early years of the 20th century. An excavation in the 1890s found two more stoneholes in a gap on the west side of the circle. However it is not clear whether more might have existed.
The stones themselves repay close scrutiny as there seem to be cup marks on some of them. These are evident on the stone shown below. However the stones are so highly eroded that it can be difficult to differentiate between features have been deliberately created by human hands and those that are a testament to the power of 4000 years of weathering!
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The stones themselves have been sculpted by the erosive power of the elements, standing as they do in an exposed position. This has meant that they have become deeply channelled by rain which has lent an individual character to each stone. Five stones currently stand although one was re-erected (recently relative to the age of the stone circle) in the early years of the 20th century. An excavation in the 1890s found two more stoneholes in a gap on the west side of the circle. However it is not clear whether more might have existed.
The stones themselves repay close scrutiny as there seem to be cup marks on some of them. These are evident on the stone shown below. However the stones are so highly eroded that it can be difficult to differentiate between features have been deliberately created by human hands and those that are a testament to the power of 4000 years of weathering!
Back to Nothumbria index