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<< Our Photo Pages >> The Kirk Ring Cairn - Stone Circle in England in Cumbria

Submitted by Anonymous on Tuesday, 09 July 2002  Page Views: 10913

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: The Kirk Ring Cairn
Country: England County: Cumbria Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Ulverston  Nearest Village: Kirkby in Furness
Map Ref: SD2507082693  Landranger Map Number: 96
Latitude: 54.234435N  Longitude: 3.151063W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
no data Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
no data Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4
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SandyG visited on 9th Sep 2017 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 2 Limited parking is available at SD 24603 81154. From here cross the road and follow the eastern side of the field boundary leading north to SD 25134 82143. From this point you can either walk straight to the row or follow the footpath to the left to SD 25134 82143 and from there walk along the footpath to the site.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by LivingRocks : The embankment of the Kirk is clearly visible just beyond the gully of Gill House Beck. Photo taken from Gunson Height 0.3miles east of the site, unfortunately straight into the late afternoon sun, resulting in the burnout over the sea in the background. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Ring Cairn or Embanked Stone Circle in Cumbria

On Kirby Moor, by Gill Kouse Beck 5.5 km (3.5 miles) NW of Ulverston 200m a.s.l.

Pastscape monument no. 38593

Update October 2019: For more information about how this cairn relates to the Kirk Stone Row, see the Stone Rows of Great Britain's entry for The Kirk, which includes a description, photographs, access information, plus a section entitled: "Ring cairn known as The Kirk". The stone row has a separate entry; see The Kirk Stone Row (also on 'nearby sites' below).
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The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Turn left from the entrance which is at the southern end and the interior wall leads immediately left with a sharp clean edged stone wall then I think sharp right after about 3 feet into a coffin sized rectangular area. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Curved wall on outer rim. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Showing the thickness and curvature of the outer wall. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Another large stone in the outer wall. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Large upright stone at northern end of structure. (Vote or comment on this photo)

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : I've called it a cairn for ease of labelling but I'm not sure what it is.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Part of the cairn

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : East from The Kirk and across Gill House Beck at the foot of Gunson Heights we found a structure which from a distance looked like a shepherd's hut minus a roof. On closer examination we felt it was a cairn or barrow, an earthwork with massive unmortared rocks carefully placed at the outer edge and roughly circular. The wall is a thick wall. Inside this there are more walls of very solid constr...

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : More rocks on the cairn.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Stones in the reeds forming an outer ring I think.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Another view of the same cairn west of the circle.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : This cairn is not the one marked on OS maps .This one is about 200yards west of The Kirk and has a very distinctive circular reed bed at one end of it. The reeds indicate a spring-line but there are quite large stones hidden amongst the reeds.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : This is another view of the ancient bridleway from The Kirk back towards Beckside and the coast. There are very large rocks incorporated in the stone walls and field gateways surrounding High Gill House and farm which may prove the tradition that relates to many of the upright stones from the circle and cairns being removed and used for building purposes.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Indistinct paths over Long Moor to The Kirk seem to have alignments of large stones marking the route to The Kirk and the cairns beyond.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : The ancient trackway from Beckside to The Kirk over Long Moor.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Another attempt to show the circle. Not easy to photograph. An aerial view would be best.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : One of the stones in the earthwork circle.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : Part of the earthwork ring of The Kirk with some stones only just visible.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by Alphasmam : The area beside The Kirk is flat moorland and very lumpy underfoot.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by LivingRocks : View across the centre of the circle, two of the remaining stones are visible.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by LivingRocks : The northern part of the embankment, looking towards Gunson Height from where the ‘aerial’ shot was taken.

The Kirk Ring Cairn
The Kirk Ring Cairn submitted by LivingRocks : The remains of this ruined circle are defined by the surviving embankment.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 80m NNE 14° The Kirk Stone Row* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SD2509182770)
 305m NNE 12° Kirkby Moor Ringcairn* Round Cairn (SD25148299)
 1.7km WNW 299° Kirkby Hall Holy Well (Kirkby Ireleth) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SD2357083550)
 2.0km NW 322° St Mary's Well (Kirkby Ireleth) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SD2389584270)
 3.1km NNE 24° Great Burney* Ring Cairn (SD2640185541)
 3.2km ENE 59° Lowick Ring Cairn (SD279843)
 3.3km NNE 24° Great Burney* Cairn (SD26458565)
 3.3km ENE 61° The Beacon (Cumbria)* Stone Circle (SD28008423)
 4.3km NNE 19° Heathwaite Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SD265867)
 5.2km N 6° Giants Grave (Woodland)* Cairn (SD257879)
 5.3km N 359° Heathwaite Fell Ancient Village or Settlement (SD251880)
 5.3km N 5° Giants Grave (Cumbria)* Ring Cairn (SD256880)
 5.7km SE 130° Hoad Hill* Cairn (SD294790)
 6.4km E 88° Greenodd Holy Well (Egton with Newland) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SD3144082770)
 6.4km E 94° Sheriff's Well (Greenodd) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SD3150082130)
 6.5km NNE 14° White Borran Cairn, Woodland Fell* Ring Cairn (SD2668788943)
 7.4km NW 308° Ash House* Standing Stones (SD19288729)
 7.7km SSE 161° Great Urswick Long Barrow* Long Barrow (SD27427540)
 7.8km S 176° Lindal Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SD255749)
 7.8km SSW 205° St Helen's Well (Askam and Ireleth) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SD2161075640)
 7.9km SSE 162° Great Urswick Fort* Hillfort (SD274751)
 8.0km NNE 15° Blawith Fells and Tarn Riggs (near Beacon Tarn) Cairn (SD2725490383)
 8.4km S 171° Great Urswick Burial Chamber* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (SD26277442)
 8.6km S 173° Urswick Stone Walls* Ancient Village or Settlement (SD260741)
 8.7km SSE 167° Great Urswick Cross* Ancient Cross (SD26867422)
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Re: The Kirk by Alphasmam on Saturday, 17 January 2015
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Condition- poor but stones are still there under the vegetation around a circular earthwork rather like a doughnut in shape. Cleared of vegetation it would be impressive.
The Kirk on Long Moor isn't easy to find as it is on a flat moorland with tussocks of grass and heather everywhere obscuring the rocks. A view across from higher ground at Gunson Heights gives an "aerial view" but actually on Long Moor at ground level you have to have sharp eyes. A GPS device would be useful.
It can be accessed from most directions but we found the most straightforward way was to drive from Askam in Furness north on the A595 and turn right to a very small picturesque village called Beckside. Beside a very interesting church which may date way back to the early Christian times there is a good free car park and toilets which are open even in winter.
The walk up to Long Moor and The Kirk is shortish on a very steep first on narrow road and then ancient bridleway when once on the moor. The track runs alongside Gill House Beck which once powered water wheels in Beckside. A wheel still remains at a house in Beckside.
Ambience- it was a very bleak place to visit on this January day in strong gusts of wind and later sleet but on a sunnier day the views must be amazing across the Duddon Estuary to Black Combe and beyond to Whitfell and Buckbarrow.

I was reading an article by T F G Dexter about the pagan origins of fairs as The Kirk was highlighted in the text.
Dexter said that The Kirk stone circle was used right up until the mid 19th century on Easter Sunday as a place to hold a fair and have sporting events and games.It was customary to have dancing, leaping, jumping, foot races and the village lads would wrestle.The lord of the manor of Kirkby Hall would go up there every year with his entourage and take part in all the events. The fair stopped in the mid 19th century as the last lord of the manor broke his thigh bone.
Dexter using evidence from all over the British Isles and Europe made a case for such fairs to have developed near barrows and stone circles where assembled people held ceremonies for the dead. Therefore he says the holding of fairs beside stone circles such as The Kirk must be of heathen origins.
He maintains that The Kirk fairs must have been of ancient antiquity.
Also he says that fairs held on hilltops and stone circles seem contemporary with ancient trackways.
The Fair at The Kirk was significant as Easter is a date dependent upon the moon and all other Christian movable feasts are regulated by the Easter moon.
The ancients, Dexter says, were more influenced by moon time than sun time.
Once a year "Merkat fairs" held elsewhere were held on boundaries where stones were erected. A land"mark" or land"merk" is an obsolete word for a post or pillar and is pre Latin. Many of these became the markers for parish boundaries.
We did see several stones which appeared to be in a line leading up to the cairns and circle but we couldn't determine if they were natural or placed there or both perhaps.
N.B.For Andy or admin
Across Gill Head Beck in easterly direction from The Kirk and at the foot of Gunson Heights we found a very interesting stone structure.We think it might be a chambered cairn but I need to find out what they looked like.I took photographs but needed a wider angle to show the detail.I'll send them anyway.
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