The Duddo Stone Circle

Visiting the Duddo stones was a pilgrimage - since they are in the far north of the county of Northumberland, and off the beaten track. Yet the pilgrimage was always intended; since these are among the favourite megaliths of England, among the few that have experienced them.

As it happens, we had pretty terrible weather - with, as can be seen from my photos (and my wife's - that's me posing in the bottom picture), driving wind and rain. A pilgrimage is not meant to be easy - yet the famous view of the Cheviot Hills was completely obscured, which was a negative.

On the other hand, as is usual with megalithic circles; the position, on a ridge as we approached from below, was striking and clearly significant - even with poor visibility.

And the stones themselves are very impressive - after some 4000-plus years, there are only five remaining, and and the sandstone blocks are deeply grooved by erosion into tooth-like shapes.

Note: Looking at the individual stones, photos three, four, five; I notice now (but didn't at the time) that each stone is set-into a mini-'crop circle' of swirled grass. Strange...