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Grey Wethers

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Period
  
Periods
  
Bronze Age

Grey Wethers Grey Wethers Stone Circle West of Fernworthy Forest Dartmoor Devon

Location
  
Devongrid reference SX639831

Postbridge to fernworthy via grey wethers circle


Grey Wethers consists of a pair of prehistoric stone circles, situated on grassy plateau to the north of Postbridge, Dartmoor, in the United Kingdom.

Contents

Grey Wethers httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Grey wethers stone circle dartmoor uk


Description

Grey Wethers Grey Wethers Wikipedia

The circles are each approximately 33 m (108 ft) in diameter, and less than five metres apart. Their centre points are aligned almost exactly north to south. The northern circle has 20 stones remaining, while the southern has 29 – all of a relatively consistent size, mostly between 1.2 and 1.4 m (3.9 and 4.6 ft) in height.

Grey Wethers Grey Wethers Stone Circle West of Fernworthy Forest Dartmoor Devon

An excavation was carried out in 1898 and a number of charcoal fragments were discovered within the circles. The circles were restored and many fallen stones re-erected in 1909.

Folklore

Grey Wethers Grey Wethers Stone Circle Megalithic Mysteries

As with many ancient Dartmoor landmarks, Grey Wethers is the subject of local folklore, explaining the origin of the name ('wether' is an Old English word meaning sheep).

Grey Wethers Grey Wethers Stone Circle Pair Devon

One story tells of a farmer who had recently moved to Dartmoor and was foolish enough to criticise the sheep on sale at Tavistock Market. He stopped for a drink at the Warren House Inn, and helped by several pints of cider, the locals persuaded him that there was an excellent flock of high quality sheep nearby which he would be welcome to buy. They walked off in search of them, and through the mist the farmer saw what he took to be a fine flock. He agreed to the sale, and returned to the site the following morning to find that what he had taken to be sheep were actually the stones of Grey Wethers.

Grey Wethers The Grey Wethers Stone Circles Dartmoor Walks

Grey Wethers Fernworthy

Grey Wethers Grey Wethers Stone Circle West of Fernworthy Forest Dartmoor Devon

References

Grey Wethers Wikipedia


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