A Stone Circle at Winterbourne Bassett?
By Karen Douglas & Steve Alexander
October 1999
Standing stone at Winterbourne Bassett
"Sometimes things are not what they seem…"
Assumptions
The small village of Winterbourne Bassett lies 3 miles North of Avebury along the A4361. Driving through the village and on towards Clyffe Pyard, you come to a small turning, on the left, that goes to Whyr farm. A single standing stone is poised by that turning, on an embankment, just by the side of the road.
Standing stone, with sign post to Whyr farm
This was not our first visit here. We had last been here in 1997 to look at a crop circle, which had appeared nearby. At the time we had noted the stone and made a cursory photographic record of it. I had read sometime later that it was once part of an old stone circle that had once stood there, I had been interested in the placement of the crop circle with regard to the old ancient site.
Winterbourne Bassett – 1997
"Was there connection between the placement of this formation and the proximity of an old stone circle?"
"recording the single standing stone, back in 1997"
We reached the site one afternoon in early March, the day was cold, but not unpleasant. We had returned to the site to make a more thorough photographic study and to be able to spend a little more time looking carefully at the landscape in which it stood.
An Uncanny Synchronicity - just to put the record straight!
We began the task of photographing the stone when a small red car turned the corner and pulled up beside us. As we approached the car the driver began to tell us of how her husband had dragged this stone from a nearby field and erected it where it now stood about three years ago.
The stone itself is not inconsequential in size and there is as much below the ground as there is showing above it. It looks naturally placed in the ground and there is no clue to the fact that it hadn’t stood there since time immemorial.
"So it wasn’t part of an old stone circle that once stood here?" we asked. Apparently it was not, the remains of that circle were in another nearby field, she pointed the way for us. She departed without giving her name, but not before telling us she was unsure of the providence of the standing stone, when we had inquired if it could have been a sighting stone set away form the main circle.
We smiled at each other, so surprised, at the uncanny coincidence which had just taken place. We finished photographing the stone and made our way to the stone circle proper in the field just across the road.
Stone circle at Winterbourne Bassett
"Exploring the new discovery…"
Six Sleeping Sheep
The ground was very soft and muddy underfoot as we made our way towards the stones, which looked like sleeping, white sheep. Only 6 stones remain visible and the shape they now form is not very circular. They appeared fallen and partially buried, we wondered if other stones had been moved or whether they were now completely covered over. If the ground was always as water logged perhaps the stones had sunk to their present positions over time. At first glance this site seemed forgotten and forlorn.
Stone Circle at Winterbourne Bassett
"Like Six Sleeping Sheep"
A Place of Movement & Life
It was whilst we were contemplating this, standing quite still, that we realised we could unmistakably hear water trickling through the ground, it was a strange moment. The field slopes away down into a small dip before rising again – The water in the ground travelling down the hill and towards the kennett. This effect now added quite a unique atmosphere to the site, suddenly making it a place of life and movement rather than a place of stagnation and decay. The idea of the placement of a stone circle in ground that contained flowing water was a fascinating concept, we speculated at length about the significance, if any, of this unusual fact.
Close up of one of the stones, with rock pool
Glance of a Sacred Plan?
This unique perception of movement carried our eye down into the dip. Then, following the rising of the land we could clearly see Broad Hinton church on the horizon, suggesting to our minds the possibility of an ancient and significant alignment between the two sites and, perhaps, beyond. We decided to check this out on the map later.
Looking to the horizon & beyond
Time to leave
Presently, we realised the sun had disappeared and with it any further possibility of good light. We decided to depart, knowing that no more photography was possible and we felt that this was a natural suggestion that it was time for us to leave. Steve had an idea that aerial photography would provide a better perspective of the site, but that was for another day.
We felt genuinely touched by our visit and, affirmed by the events we had experienced as our day had unfolded. The discovery of this site felt very significant to us, as it is completely unmarked on any O. S map and was seemingly stumbled upon by coincidence?
Further Checking
We looked at the possible alignment between the Winterbourne Bassett stone circle and the church at Broad Hinton. We found that if we drew a line connecting the two sites and then extended it Northwards we found a further stone circle at a place called Coate, near Swindon – we were not surprised.
