Grey Wethers (S) Stone Circle
Photo taken on 14-06-2009
Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks: Dartmoor Site: Grey Wethers Double Stone Circle
OS Map: SX 63874 83121
OS Source: Google
HER record: 6759
Megalithic Portal: 532
PMD: Grey Wethers Stone Circles
Alternate name: Grey Wethers (S)
Short Name: SC Grey Weth S
Turner: G2
DPD page: 134
Exist: Yes
Record: Unique
Record Source: PDW
Cairn Class: No
Dimensions (m): 33.0
Lidar: SX63878312
Notes: This site is one of the most impressive on Dartmoor. The circles were restored in 1909 by Burnard. At the time only 9 stones remained standing in the north circle and 7 in the south circle. It is thought that the reconstruction is fairly accurate. The circles are separated by a few meters and are almost identical. Both circles have 30 stones and diameters very close to 33 m and they are within 2 degrees of being on an exact north to south alignment. The slight differences between the two circles could even be a result of the restoration. Apparently "wether" is an old English name for sheep and legend has it that a drunken farmer leaving the Warren House Inn was persuaded that the Grey Wethers were a desirable flock for sale! See also, Legendary Dartmoor: Grey Wethers
Nearby sites: SX63878312
Google Satellite Map
References
These are selected references with an emphasis on out of copyright sources linked as PDFs. For more detailed references try any linked HER record. For some records there are very good resources on the Prehistoric Monuments of Dartmoor (PMD) website by Bill Radcliffe. Barrow reports are linked above as are references to Butler, Grinsell and Turner.
- A-Z, Dartmoor Sketches, (1870)
- Baring-Gould, Sabine, Sixth Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, T.D.A. Vol.31 pp.146-155 (1899)
- Bate, C Spence, On the Prehistoric Antiquities of Dartmoor, T.D.A. Vol.4 pp.491-516 (1871)
- Brailsford, J. W, Bronze Age Stone Monuments of Dartmoor, Antiquity Volume 12, Number 48 pp.444-63 (1938)
- Burnard, Robert, Dartmoor Pictorial Records, (1986)
- Chudleigh, J, Devonshire Antiquities, (1893)
- Evans, Rachel, Home Scenes, Or, Tavistock and Its Vicinity, (1846)
- Falcon, T.A., Dartmoor Illustrated, (1900)
- Lukis, W.C, Report on the Monuments of Dartmoor, Proceeding of the Society of Antiquaries Vol.8 (1881)
- Worth, R. Hansford, Two Stone Circles on Dartmoor, Swincombe Valley, and West Dart Valley, with a note on the Grey Wethers, T.D.A. Vol.71 pp.321-328 (1939)