Rollright Stones
King's Men · Whispering Knights · King Stone
Early Neolithic to Middle Bronze Age·Cotswold Neolithic to Beaker·🇬🇧 Oxfordshire / Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom
About
About Rollright Stones
Neolithic-Bronze Age complex on Cotswold ridge straddling Oxfordshire-Warwickshire border: King's Men stone circle (33 m, 77 limestone stones pitted by weathering), Whispering Knights portal dolmen (Early Neolithic chamber with capstone), and King Stone monolith (2.4 m). Legend says king and knights petrified by witch. Associated with various burials.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Multi-period reuse over 2000 years
Theories
- 01Petrification legend encodes dynastic change
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Whispering Knights c.3800 BCE; King's Men c.2500 BCE; King Stone c.1500 BCE
- Period
- Early Neolithic to Middle Bronze Age
- Culture
- Cotswold Neolithic to Beaker
- Purpose
- Burial chamber then ceremonial circle and standing stone
- Abandoned
- c.1000 BCE
- Rediscovered
- Antiquarian 1610 Camden; excavation 1983
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
Whispering Knights c.3800 BCE; King's Men c.2500 BCE; King Stone c.1500 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1345 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
51.9725° N · 1.5656° W · 210 m · 3 mapped features
King's Men Circle
stone circle77-stone limestone circle 33 m diameter
51.9725° N · 1.5656° WWhispering Knights
dolmenPortal dolmen 400 m east of circle
51.9716° N · 1.5640° WKing Stone
standing stone2.4 m monolith 80 m north
51.9732° N · 1.5659° W
Gallery