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Swinside, which is also known as Sunkenkirk and Swineshead,〔Lewis 1886. p. 475.〕 is a stone circle lying beside Swinside Fell, part of Black Combe in southern Cumbria, North West England. One of around 1,300 recorded stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany, it was constructed as a part of a megalithic tradition that lasted from 3,300 to 900 BCE, during what archaeologists categorise as the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages.〔Burl 2000. p. 13.〕 In this period, the Lake District – a mountainous area in which Swinside is located – saw particularly high levels of stone circle construction, with other notable examples including the Castlerigg stone circle and Long Meg and Her Daughters. The original purposes of these circles is still debated, although most archaeologists concur that they were built for ritual or ceremonial reasons. Constructed from local slate, the ring has a diameter of about 93 ft 8ins (26.8m),〔〔 and currently contains 55 stones, although when originally constructed there probably would have been around 60.〔 An entrance-exit was included on the monument's south-eastern side, which was defined by the inclusion of two outer portal stones. In the Early Modern period, local folklore about the stones held that they had once been used in the construction of a church, but that the Devil continually thwarted these plans, creating the stone circle in the process. Archaeological investigation into the monument began in the early 20th century, with an excavation taking place in 1901. ==Location== The stone circle at Swinside is located in the south-west corner of the Lake District in the ancient district of Millom, 5 miles north of the town of Millom (map reference ) .〔 There is no visitor's centre or car park at the site, which can only be reached by travelling on foot.〔Burl 2005. p. 48.〕 In order to reach the site, the visitor must get to Crag Hall, where there is limited places for parking, and then walk along a rough track for 2¼ km (1¼ miles) uphill towards Swinside Farm, where the megalithic ring lies to the right of the path.〔 Megalithic specialist Aubrey Burl called Swinside "the loveliest of all the circles" in north-western Europe.〔Burl 1979. p. 235.〕 In his study of the stone circles of Cumbria, archaeologist John Waterhouse commented that Swinside "can be compared only to Castlerigg and Long Meg and her Daughters in its visual impact; but its charm - for great charm it undoubtedly has - is greater even than theirs."〔Waterhouse 1985. p. 43.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Swinside」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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