Swinside Stone Circle

Overview

About Swinside Stone Circle

Why stop

Remarkably intact prehistoric stone ring
Wide views toward Black Combe and the coast

Heads up

Rough, exposed approach can be muddy
Little to do beyond the monument itself

Swinside is one of those places that rewards people who make the effort. A near-complete ring of 57 slate stones, about 29 metres across, sits on open ground below Black Combe. It is a substantial prehistoric monument rather than a quick roadside photo stop, with the surrounding fell and coastal landscape giving the circle its sense of place.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop

Map

Where it is

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SightSwinside Stone Circle54.28250, -3.27386

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to visit

Go in daylight during a clear, settled spell if you want the best combination of views and photographs. Early or later daylight is usually the quietest and gives softer light, while wet or windy weather makes the exposed approach much less comfortable. After rain, the farm track can be slippery, so footwear with real grip matters more than the short distance suggests.

Getting there

Plan this as a walk, not a drive-up stop. The circle is about 1.5 miles from the A595 and is reached by a public bridleway along a farm track. There is no provision for parking near the site or on the nearby lanes, so use a lawful place to leave your car and never block farm access. Do not assume that a map pin means you can drive to the stones.

Allow extra time for an uphill approach and rough, wet footing. Waterproof boots, water, and an offline map are sensible. You are crossing working farmland, so expect grazing sheep, leave gates as you find them, and keep dogs under close control. There are no visitor facilities at the circle, so bring what you need before setting out.

8 active Lake District alerts

ClosureChapel Stile footpath closed for retaining-wall riskPart of Footpath 543030 between Chapel Stile and Baysbrown campsite is closed because a retaining wall beside the path could collapse and material it supports could fall across the footpath.Official details
ClosureStanley Ghyll Lower Falls footpath closed for rockfallThe section of Footpath 408037 leading towards Stanley Ghyll Lower Falls is closed because severe rockfall damage has made the path unstable and further rockfall remains a danger.Official details

See all 8 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Lake District Tour Guide

Your drive to Swinside Stone Circle, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake District National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this place

Swinside Stone Circle: The Walk to the Stones

0:00 / 0:41

“You're approaching the access for Swinside Stone Circle, a prehistoric monument reached on foot along a farm track.”

Plays as you drive up to Swinside Stone Circle in the Parkwolf Lake District Tour Guide.

More about Swinside Stone Circle

What to look forWalk around the ring instead of viewing it from one angle.

Walk around the ring instead of viewing it from one angle. The south-eastern entrance is marked by two portal stones outside the circumference, and the tallest stone is about 2.3 metres high. The individual profiles and spacing are worth studying at ground level, details that aerial photographs tend to flatten.

The open setting makes the circle feel connected to Black Combe and the wider coast. Clear weather gives the best landscape context, while low light brings out the slate textures and long shadows. Treat the monument gently: do not climb, move, or damage the stones. Metal detecting without a Historic England licence is a criminal offence.

Why stopThe site is estimated to be around 5,000 to 6,000 years old, making it older than Stonehenge.

The site is estimated to be around 5,000 to 6,000 years old, making it older than Stonehenge. It is also known as Sunkenkirk and is a protected Scheduled Monument. A modern interpretation reads the layout as a detailed solar and lunar calendar, but that is an interpretation rather than settled fact.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Lake District

All Lake District wildlife maps

81 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

13 sightingsEurasian OtterMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

76 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map

51 sightingsEuropean BadgerMost seen around 8 PMSighting map

233 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

176 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake District. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.