The Rollright Stones, Oxfordshire
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The Rollright Stones, Oxfordshire
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The ancient stone complex of the Rollright Stones, Oxfordshire consists of three main elements, The Kings Men stone circle, the King Stone, and the Whispering Knights.
King's Stone
Its purpose and age are unclear, although it is believed to be of middle Bronze Age origin. Some sources suggest that it might be an outlier to the Stone Circle.
The strange shape (likened to a seal balancing a ball on its nose) of this standing stone has less to do with the weathering effects of nature than with the destructive habit of 19th century drovers who chipped off small pieces to act as lucky charms and keep the Devil at bay. Thankfully this superstitious vandalism no longer goes on.
The Whispering Knights
The 5000 year old burial chamber, believed to be part of a Neolithic long barrow . The Knights are a small group of five upright stones 400 yards away from the actual Stone Circle, who got their name because of the conspiratorial way in which they lean inwards towards each other as if they are plotting against their king.
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