Stone Circle at Stanton Drew

I was unable to get a decent photograph of the stone circle because of its size and I could not get any closer. They are situated in the small village of Stanton Drew, not too far from East Harptree where I stayed. It is the third largest complex of prehistoric standing stones in England. Unlike their counterparts in Avebury and Stone Henge these circles are relatively unknown. There are three stone circles adjacent to the village, with the largest (The Great Circle) measuring 113 metres in diameter. Twenty-six of the stones are still standing, while a further three large stones are (Called the Cove) are in the garden of the village pub and a single stone (Known as Hautville’s Quoit) is situated to the north, across from the River Chew.

Whilst I was in Stanton Drew I visited the Anglican Church of St Mary the Virgin, which was built in the 13th century. It is a Grade II* listed building. In the north aisle is the Norman bowl of the font and further east the small turret steps behind a glass door that in earlier times led up into a rood loft. Although parts date from the 13th and 14th centuries the interior, as it is seen today, shows the work that was carried out in 1847 when the south, west and north walls were rebuilt except a portion east from the Lady Chapel. The nave and tower arches were reconstructed in the 15th century.