Our own henge

It was seeing this and this, that reminded me that we have a henge of our own here in Cumbria, Mayburgh Henge near Penrith. I called in after shopping in Penrith.

A henge is a circular monument, often containing a circle of stones, dating from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. They are usually enclosed by a bank earthwork, with an entrance or entrances leading to the centre. They were almost certainly ceremonial, rather than defensive. Despite having only one stone, Mayburgh is usually listed as one of the best henges in the country.

Although Mayburgh only has one stone remaining, the earthworks are still in existence. The bank is circular, around fifteen feet high, and encloses about one and half acres. The bank is made of thousands and thousands of pebbles carried from the nearby riverbed. The rivers Eamont and Lowther are close by. The task of carrying that amount of pebbles is apparently on a scale comparable to building a pyramid and must have taken either a very large number of people or a long period of time. You can see the bank behind the stone in this picture. To the right is where the entrance would have been.

It is not known for certain how many stones there were originally at Mayburgh. In the 19th century it is known that there were still four standing stones at the centre and four flanking the entrance. Seven of these were carried away to be used for building material. There is only one massive stone left and it stands alone, about nine or ten feet high.

It is possible to stand on the mound and look over a huge arena. The place could have catered for a vast gathering of people As with all stone circles, no one knows for certain what it was used for. Some say it was a sort of government building, a place for administration. Sir Walter Scott had other ideas:

Mayborough's mound and stones of power
By Druids raised in magic hour.

Of course the name might signify a link with ancient festivals that were held to celebrate the rebirth of summer. However hard we try to understand, it is likely that we will never know for certain what went on here, its significance buried with the civilization which created it.

It is quite awe-inspiring to stand in the centre of this vast arena or to climb onto the bank and look over it. Unfortunately a real spiritual atmosphere is nigh on impossible. Not because of the number of people. I think you could come here at any time of the day and be completely alone. No, the problem is that a motorway was built within a few yards of it. The relentless traffic noise from the M6 destroys any quiet contemplation!! It is still a wonderful place though.