Field and Desk Archaeology


Ancient Roads

GNR West

Casterton Stone Circle SD 639 800

We start with Casterton, as the course of GNR West is lost South of there. The most northerly Ring Cairn in the image is Casterton Stone Circle. It has a 20 stone setting, sat upon the inside of a circular bank (as shown on the SE quadrant). The stones are arranged in diametric opposition and there are stones on both the North / South and East / West alignments. There are 7 of these pairs shown on the plan, the remaining 3 pairs being compromised by displaced stones on the southern side. 4 of the pairs align with the exact centre of the circle and 4 of which align with a centre 1m to the West of the true centre (1 pair aligns with both centres).

The Stone Circle at Casterton has a companion site about 200m to the south. This companion site, not having a Stone Circle, appears to be a simple Ring Cairn. Casterton Stone Circle has been classed as an Embanked Stone Circle, but the simplest explanation is that originally we had two Ring Cairns, one of which subsequently had a Stone Circle added. On that basis, without any other evidence, I would classify Casterton Stone Circle above, as a Megalithed Ring Cairn rather than as an Embanked Stone Circle.

Casterton is where we join the Roman Road going North up the Lune Gorge. There are numerous other Cairns and Ring Cairns on this corner of the Barbon Fells. We pick up the trail at Shap after heading North out of the Lune Gorge.

The Stone Roads of Dr Michael Waistell Taylor (1824–1892)

M.W.Taylor was a distinguished physician and antiquarian. Most of his antiquarian activities took place West and South of Penrith. His first reference to the road system was in Yanwath Hall MW Taylor TCWAAS 1870 48:

Before the period of stone bridges, the ford at Yanwath, I conceive to have been the most important of all the passages across the Eamont. For I find, what I believe to be the line of a British stone avenue or ancient pathway, leading to it from the south, from the encampment called Castle Steads, and a British village at Woodhouse, (both in this manor), with a continuation of the same on the other side of the stream, to Sewborrens, and the British occupation at Newton Reigny.

We also get further info from a later article Moor Divock MW Taylor TCWAAS 1886 341 which contains more detail and a marginally different version of the Woodhouse section:

Beginning with the Cumbrian groups, the first example to suggest itself, is of course the neighbouring and at one time magnificently expressed Shap Avenue… this line of huge boulders has formed a connecting link between a number of circles of considerable dimensions, probably sepulchral, the head of it beginning at a stone circle a quarter of a mile to the S. of Shap by the railway side, then to the circle at Karl Lofts, then past another circle at Brackenber, and on in a N.W. direction to the village of Rosgill, a distance of three miles.
Remnants of former alignments of megaliths may still be made out elsewhere, in various localities in the district around Penrith, a few appearing as Standing Stones, and some partially sunk, or walled into the breast of fences. For instance in the direction from the S. end of the village of Newton Reigny, by Mossthorn, on over Pallet Hill to Newbiggin; also from Sewborrens over the Riggs Farm to Newbiggin some few exist, and I have seen old people who remembered the removal of many of these stones at the beginning of this century. These lines may have been in connection with the barrows and stone circles, of which the dilapidated remains and half buried relics are frequent over this locality. I have noted also a line of stones from a Cairn on the Lowther Woodhouse farm, marching by Yanwath wood…

What are we looking at here? Has this eminent man succumbed to leylineism, connecting random boulders to make a pattern? The answer is not at all. There is still currently compelling evidence of the nature of the Stone Roads involved from precise locations supplied by AnneT on the Megalithic Portal site for Newbeggin Stone Row. This is the only documented section of Dr Taylor's Stone Roads, however it is entirely possible that more sections might still be extant, especially if incorporated into later field walls - we have just lost sight of them. We shall examine the route in detail from South to North.

The Stone Roads were likely to be straight in small sections as here at Newbiggin Stone Road and the Stones may have served as markers when the track was covered in snow. The stones are approx. 467m apart and a couple of them have been doubled up. The western end at Sewborrans Stone is on the Stone Road from Yanwath Ford to Newton Reigny. The Eastern end is on Flusco Pike, the highest point in the locality at 280m. Two stones are clearly missing or unrecorded, but the gap left is the right size to accomodate them. The green circles based on the existing locations, gives us the approximate positions where other stones may lie. A second line of Stones is mentioned by Dr Taylor originating South of Newton Reigny which could also be headed for Flusco Pike. From Flusco Pike, the road could turn in a more westerly direction for Castlerigg / Keswick.

Where inconvenient, Stones have been removed by farmers. These stones served as useful boundary markers and the ones that have survived tend to be built into stone walls, making them difficult to spot (and differentiate from later stones in the wall and other later walls). Using the Newbiggin Stone Road as a template, we may be able to rediscover some of Dr Taylor's road network and perhaps even extend it.

The documented Stone Road network may also have extended to the West and North. The Northern section may well follow the route of the later Roman Road North of Penrith. In which case there may have been Stone Roads directly connecting to this from Yanwath Ford, Sewborrans Stone or Newton Reigny, but this would have to be established.

The Stone Roads of Cumbria are different in character and function to the Stone Rows of the South West. They chart the road network for getting from A to C via B and are not just associated with ceremonial sites as elsewhere. It is only the coherent straight line of Newbiggin Stone Road and Dr Taylor's testimony that gives us confidence that we are looking at something real. The Stone Roads may pre-date any associated monuments, as in the Droveway at Coupland. The monuments may have been attracted to major Stone Roads and not vice versa.