Kingston Russell Stone Circle
Dorset
See here for Picture Details
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Image to see a larger version
An 18 or 19 stone Bronze age circle near Abbotsbury,
roughly 30 metres in diameter.
We visited this site many years back, mid
summer, and its was waist high with weeds, thistles etc. I am told it is kept
clearer now.
The picture above shows it clear, but this may
be at a different time of the year.
Flat top of a chalk ridge, overlooking the
Bride Valley to the north, and with views westwards to Abbotsbury Castle and the
sea. The 18 stones are arranged in a near-circular formation, and are of sarsen or conglomerate.
The longest being about 8ft.
On the way from the
road using the direction below, you will come across:-
The Grey Mare & Her Colts
(SY584871 / Sheet: 194) - the remains of a once-mighty Neolithic
long barrow, large entry/blocking stones and some others.
The opposite way from the road you reach:-
Another smaller stone circle known as the
Hampton circle/Hampton Down SY596865. Some OS maps refer to it as
simply Hampton Stone Circle. 10 stones in a small ellipse of 19ft by 20ft.
Take a look at the map
multimap at this point the Kingston
Russell stone circle is top left. The stone circle lower left quarter is the
Hampton circle. Between these two you will see the long borrow.
See also
Our
section on stone circles
The discussion on the purpose of stone circles
Planning Grid
Location: |
Kingston Russell Stone Circle, Dorset |
Grid Reference |
SY577878 OS Map 194 |
Map Link: |
Multimap
Google maps aerial photograph
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Getting there: |
On the road to Abbotsbury from the A35 at
Winterbourne Abbas, after a signpost right for Littlebredy and before you
get to Portesham (see parking notes for Hell Stone), there is a left turn
signposted for the Hardy Monument. At this junction take the (very) minor
road to the right (west). After about a mile the road bends sharply to the
left and follows the valley round. At that point there is a layby to park. |
Access: |
Return back up the road to the footpath that
heads NW up the hill. Shortly up this path you are faced with a 3-way split.
The Public Footpath heads through a Private Farm. Take the Bridleway that
heads straight on and hug the hedge to your left. After about 400 yards
there's a footpath through the hedge on the left. Follow this for about a
hundred yards and the barrow is over another hedge. Return to bridleway and
follow for another 3/4 mile and just before the large clump of trees
Kingston Russell Stone Circle is in a field on the left. |
Parking: |
lay-by on road |
Facilities: |
None |
Things To Do,
See and Photograph: |
Stone circle, long barrow, wildlife probably,
views |
What to take: |
Map or good notes, you wont find it without.
Good walking footwear as you are walking across fields. |
Nature highlights: |
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Best Times to
Visit: |
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Address: |
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Postcode: |
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Telephone: |
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E-mail: |
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Website: |
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Opening times: |
Ppen all the time |
Charges: |
none |
Photo Restrictions: |
none |
Other Restrictions: |
None. Some people have tried to get to this
location by another route going up a farm drive, not sure where, but not had
a good reception. |
Special Needs Access: |
probably difficult |
Special Needs Facilities: |
none |
Children Facilities: |
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Dogs Allowed: |
No known restrictions |
Other useful
websites: |
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/282 |
CIN Page Ref: |
kingston_russell_stone_circle |
Date Updated:03/08 |
Please let us know any other information that we
can add to this Planning Grid or page and any errors that you discover. Before making a long trip to any location it is always
wise to double check the current information, websites like magazines may be
correct at the time the information is written, but things change and it is of
course impossible to double check all entries on a regular basis. If you have
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then please let us have copies. In referring to this page it is helpful if you
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