History

Stories of the stones

By local historian and Dartmoor Guide Paul Rendell

Across Dartmoor there are a number of stone circles and stone rows built by Bronze Age people. Probably even then, people must have loved to hear a good story. These people would have come back from hunting wild boar and recount tales of bravery or how they came across a scary monster. And now in the 21st century there are many stories told about these standing stones.

There is a wonderful stone circle at Scorhill, near Gidleigh. Scorhill is in a group of eight stone circles to be found in a curve around the north-east of the moor, including Grey Wethers (two circles), Sittaford, Fernworthy, Shovel Down, Buttern and White Moor. There are possibly yet more to be found within this area - Buttern was discovered lying on the ground and Sittaford was recently found, hidden under vegetation. Scorhill Circle consists of 23 standing stones today, but possibly had about 35 stones when it was first built - there are number on the ground. This stone circle has lots of stories about things that have happened there. Many years ago, two male walkers from Chagford were standing outside the circle talking, when one spotted an adder slithering across the circle towards them. When it reached the edge of the circle, it stopped, as though it had reached an invisible barrier. It went back and forth trying very hard to get through this barrier. One of the walkers used his trekking pole to help the snake escape by lifting it up and over the invisible barrier and it went on it way. On another occasion a local lady was out riding her horse when she spotted something very strange. A small group of moorland ponies had arrived just before she got there - the lead pony

was walking inside the circle while the other three ponies waited outside. The lead pony walked around the inside of the circle three times anti-clockwise, before coming out the same way it went in. One by one the others did the same – walking round anti-clockwise three times before trotting off. Were they ‘taking energy’ from the stones? The lady watching could not get her horse to step into the circle. I don’t like the circle myself, as I’ve had some strange things happen to me there over the years. Just a few weeks ago, while walking inside the circle, my face apparently turned pale and I felt I was about to faint. The couple of walkers who were with me saw what I looked like and got me out of the circle. The wife felt nothing but peace and calm yet the husband, who had never been there before, was shaking. What a strange place. Nearby on Shovel Down, there are a few stone rows, and here in 2019 I experienced a strange blue light coming up the stone row towards me. I was sitting on the flat stone at the top of the row looking down, when a small light came up between the standing stones towards me - just as it reached me, it seemed to go down a hole in the ground in front of me.

Near Fernworthy Plantation are the Grey Wethers, a double stone circle. Legend has it that in days gone by, if married ladies from Chagford who had had an affair wanted to be forgiven for their sins, they could kneel down in front of one of the standing stones and pray to be forgiven. If the stone was to fall on them, they would be forgiven! Earlier this year I was leading a guided walk to these stone circles and we just walked inside one of the circles. One of the group used his GPS to pinpoint where we were on his digital map. To his shock, it pointed to the middle of the Exe, at Topsham near Exeter. He reset and did it again - and yes, we were at Topsham! He could not believe it. We walked out of the circle and it still showed the same place. About 100 yards from stones, it was revealed the correct co-ordinates. It was very strange - was it ley lines or energy lines in the ground or pixies playing tricks.? Near Belstone there is a small stone circle called Nine Maidens, or sometimes Nine Stones. This circle is in fact a Bronze Age cist, a stone-lined burial chamber. You would assume there are nine stones but you would be wrong. It depends what day you go there as to how many stones are there, normally it is 16 but some days there are 20 or more . . .

There is a local story that anyone disturbing the stones will suffer misfortune in the coming weeks. In 1985, an extra stone was added for the filming of a horror film. The only copy of the film, made by a local company, got lost in the post - so beware of the stones!

If only these stones could talk, to tell us what the Bronze Age people know that we have lost. These people were more in touch with nature than we are today.

DARTMOOR GUIDED WALKS

with with

Enjoy a guided walk with local historian Paul Rendell. Theme walks include wildfl owers, history and longer walks. 01837 54727 • paul.dartmoor@gmail.com www.paulrendelldartmoor.co.uk