Scorhill
Bronze Age Stone Circle
Southwest of Gidleigh, Dartmoor, Devon OS
Map Ref SX65468739
OS Maps - Landranger 191 (Okehampton & North Dartmoor), Explorer OL28 (Dartmoor)
![]() Looking west over Scorhill Circle |
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![]() The south-eastern arc of stones |
The best way to describe
Scorhill
circle is that it is 'stark in its landscape' This landscape is open and gently
sloping to the west and the unshaped granite blocks almost seem as if they have
been pushed up through the earth, especially one tall shark-toothed stone to the
northwest of the circle which stands nearly 2.5 metres tall. (see picture lower
left). The site consists of 23 stones still standing with another 11 fallen, 2
of these showing evidence of the work of stone masons with part of one of the
stones missing - this damage is thought to have been done sometime before the
18th century. Estimates for the original number of stones are as high as 60 or
70. Given that the circle only has a diameter of 27 metres this would mean that
it would have had twice the stone density of the slightly bigger southern circle
of the Grey Wethers, 2.5 miles away to the southwest.
It would certainly have been an imposing sight.
Although the circle dominates the local landscape it does not stand in isolation, there are several cairns close by, 2 of which show evidence of having stone kerbs. There are several stories or legends surrounding Scorhill with a recurrent theme being that horses or livestock often cannot be lead through the circle. A short distance to the south by the North Teign River is the Tolmen Stone, a large holed stone that also has stories attached to it, this time that passing through the hole could cure various ailments. Glossary Item: Bronze Age |
![]() Stones on the northwest of the circle |
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