Excellent vantage point

This is the second of Ten Walks with History in the Lake District. Last time we looked at Castlerigg Stone Circle, which it is believed dates back to the New Stone Age. This afternoon four of us set out to find stone circles and other stoneworks that have been dated to the early Bronze Age.
 
The climate at that time was warmer, allowing people to move higher on to the fells. Consequently many Bronze Age sites in Cumbria are located at 150 to 350 metres above sea level. This is true of the moorland above Pooley Bridge and Askham, known as Moor Divock. The whole area has been discovered to contain several stone circles connected by stone avenues, numerous burial cairns, standing stones etc.
 
Here is the most complete of the circles, known as the Cockpit, possibly because it was at one time used for cock-fighting. The site is stunning, with views across Ullswater to the Lake District hills.
 
We waited through a dull and wet morning, setting out after lunch, and were rewarded by a glorious sunny, warm afternoon. We had a wonderful ramble along green tracks and paths and at one point climbed up to find breathtaking views of Ullswater and surrounding hills.
   
The extra pictures show a single standing stone, known as the Kopstone, the remains of a burial cairn. And here is a view of Ullswater, which also gives an idea of this huge area of moorland, which the Bronze Age people  found was perfect to settle in.