Goatstones
Stone Circle
NY 829 748
On the road to Wark take the left turn just after the one signed to Simonburn. The one you want has a campsite sign. Follow this for about 3 miles and you will see the crags appear on your left. Park in a large layby opposite a house where a gate leads to a track. The track south of Ravensheugh Crags leads to the circle after about ¼ mile. When you have walked past the outcrop look above to your left to glimpse the small stones on slightly raised ground from the track.
The Ravensheugh Crags are made up of limestone with a layer of sandstone on top. In Stan Beckensall’s detailed Rock Art book he has drawn plans showing that each of the four stones have cupmarks. Some are very hard to see. The large cups on the east stone are obvious, and the south stone has four cups and two grooves, there are three or four on the north stone and the west has four on top and some smaller ones on the side face.
This is a Four Poster, the other one of it’s kind being Three Kings further north. Three of the four still stand and the tallest reaches about 0.7m (2ft) in height. The diameter between them is just over 5m (17ft) and the distances between the stones are about 4.6m E to W and 4.4m N to S. and there are good views from the site. The southern stone has fallen and now leans at a shallow angle and there are numerous cupmarks on the top of the ENE stone.
Cupmarks
The name Goatstones may be derived from "Gyet-Stones" which means "wayside stones", as the circle stands close to an old droveway.
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