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The King Stone
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This
monolith stands 50 yards away from the Stone Circle itself, across
the road in a different county (Warwickshire). Its purpose and age
are unclear, although it is believed to be of middle Bronze Age
origin. Some sources suggest that it might be an outlier to the
Stone Circle. The strange shape (likened to a seal balancing a
ball on its nose) of this standing stone has less to do with the
weathering effects of nature than with the destructive habit of
19th century drovers who chipped off small pieces to act as lucky
charms and keep the Devil at bay. Thankfully this superstitious
vandalism no longer goes on.
Borrowed
from The
Rollright Stones |
I liked this angle of the King Stone...
... whereas Bill preferred this one. Anyone like to analyse that ?!!
This little lady was just sitting around minding her own business so I
asked her if she'd
mind having her photo taken for my travelogue. She kindly consented.
The Whispering Knights
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The
5000 year old burial chamber, believed to be part of a Neolithic
long barrow . The Knights are a small group of five upright stones
400 yards away from the actual Stone Circle, who got their name
because of the conspiratorial way in which they lean inwards
towards each other as if they are plotting against their king.
Borrowed from The
Rollright Stones |
Seems there's a new knight.
More of Bill's photography.
Bill's shot of the village of Long Compton below.
The legend goes that...
A King with
ambitions to conquer all of England had got as far as the
Rollrights when up popped a witch. According to some accounts she
was Mother Shipton of Shipton-under-Wychwood (c.1488-1551). She
challenged the King with these words -
"Seven long strides shalt thou take And if Long Compton thou
canst see, King of England thou shalt be."
Off went the King, shouting -
"Stick, stock, stone As King of England I shall be
known."
On his seventh stride the ground rose up before him in a long
mound sometimes known as the Arch-Druid's barrow. The witch
laughed and declared -
"As Long Compton thou canst not see King of England thou
shalt not be. Rise up stick and stand still stone For King of
England thou shalt be none; Thou and thy men hoar stones shall be
And I myself an eldern tree."
Borrowed
from The
Rollright Stones |
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