Grey Wethers

For the scattered sarsen boulders northwest of Marlborough in Wiltshire, see Fyfield Down.

Grey Wethers
History
The two circles viewed from the west
Shown within Devon
Location	Devon grid reference SX639831
Coordinates	Coordinates: 50°37′54″N 3°55′33″W / 50.63166°N 3.92577°W / 50.63166; -3.92577
Type	Stone circles
Periods	Bronze Age

Grey Wethers consists of a pair of prehistoric stone circles, situated on grassy plateau to the north of Postbridge, Dartmoor, in the United Kingdom.

Description

The circles are each approximately 33 m (108 ft) in diameter, and less than five metres apart. Their centre points are aligned almost exactly north to south. The northern circle has 20 stones remaining, while the southern has 29 - all of a relatively consistent size, mostly between 1.2 and 1.4 m (3.9 and 4.6 ft) in height.

An excavation was carried out in 1898 and a number of charcoal fragments were discovered within the circles. The circles were restored and many fallen stones re-erected in 1909.

View of the two circles from the south

Folklore

As with many ancient Dartmoor landmarks, Grey Wethers is the subject of local folklore, explaining the origin of the name ('wether' is an Old English word meaning sheep).

One story tells of a farmer who had recently moved to Dartmoor and was foolish enough to criticise the sheep on sale at Tavistock Market. He stopped for a drink at the Warren House Inn, and helped by several pints of cider, the locals persuaded him that there was an excellent flock of high quality sheep nearby which he would be welcome to buy. They walked off in search of them, and through the mist the farmer saw what he took to be a fine flock. He agreed to the sale, and returned to the site the following morning to find that what he had taken to be sheep were actually the stones of Grey Wethers.

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grey Wethers.

Illustrated entry in the Megalithic Portal

Map sources for Grey Wethers

European megaliths

Armenia	Metsamor Zorats Karer

Azerbaijan	Gobustan Rocks

Bulgaria	Beglik Tash Garlo

England	Arbor Low Avebury Barbrook One Birkrigg Boscawen-Un Boskednan Brown Willy Cairns The Bull Ring Burnmoor stone circles Castlerigg Craddock Moor Devil's Arrows Doll Tor Drizzlecombe Duloe Fernacre Gardom's Edge Goodaver Grey Wethers Hoarstones Hordron Edge Hurlers Leper Stone Long Meg and Her Daughters Mên-an-Tol The Merry Maidens Mitchell's Fold Nine Ladies Nine Stones, Altarnun Pipers Rollright Rudston Monolith Scorhill Stannon Stanton Drew Stonehenge Stripple Swinside Trippet

France	Barnenez Tumulus of Bougon Caixa de Rotllan Carnac Menhir de Champ-Dolent Dolmen de Bagneux Broken Menhir of Er Grah Filitosa Gallardet Dolmen Gavrinis Harrespil Kerzerho Locmariaquer megaliths Mane Braz Paddaghju Peyre-Brune Tremeca Verziau of Gargantua

Germany	Altendorf Denghoog Fraubillen cross Harhoog Lancken-Granitz dolmens Lohra Megaliths in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Niedertiefenbach Oldendorfer Totenstatt] Riesenstein Route of Megalithic Culture Sieben Steinhäuser Wotanstein Züschen

Ireland	Ardgroom Beltany stone circle Bohonagh Brownshill Dolmen Brú na Bóinne Carrigagulla Carrowmore Castlestrange stone Creevykeel Court Tomb Drombeg Gaulstown Portal Tomb Glantane East Grange stone circle High cross Knocknakilla Meehambee Dolmen Piper's Stones Poulnabrone dolmen Reask Templebryan Stone Circle Turoe stone Uragh Stone Circle

Jersey	Jersey Dolmens La Hougue Bie

Malta	Megalithic Temples (Borġ l-Imramma Borġ in-Nadur Buġibba Debdieba Ġgantija Ħaġar Qim Ħal-Ġinwi Kordin Mnajdra Qortin l-Imdawwar Santa Verna Skorba Ta' Ħaġrat Ta' Marżiena Ta' Raddiena Tal-Qadi Tarxien Tas-Silġ Xemxija Xrobb l-Għaġin) Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni Xagħra Stone Circle

Netherlands	Hunebed

Northern Ireland	Aughlish Ballynoe Beaghmore Corick Drumskinny Legananny Giant's Ring

Poland	Brąchnówko Grzybnica Odry Węsiory

Portugal	Almendres Cromlech Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Cunha Baixa Dolmen

Russia	Dolmens of North Caucasus Thunder Stone Megaliths in the Urals Russian Geoglyph

Scandinavia	Picture stones Runestones Stone circles Stone ships

Scotland	Balquhain Callanish I II III IV VIII X Carlin Cat Stane Clach an Trushal Colmeallie Drybridge Easter Aquhorthies Lochmaben Stone Pictish Ring of Brodgar Sheldon Stenness Steinacleit Strichen Yonder Bognie

Ukraine	Boundary stones

Wales	Barclodiad y Gawres Bedd Arthur Bedd Taliesin Bodowyr Bryn Cader Faner Bryn Celli Ddu Bryn Gwyn stones Capel Garmon Carreg Coetan Arthur Carreg Samson Coetan Arthur Foel Chwern Llanfechell Lligwy Burial Chamber Maen Llia Maen Madoc Meini Hirion Moel Tŷ Uchaf Parc Cwm long cairn Penrhos Feilw Pentre Ifan St Lythans burial chamber Trefignath Tinkinswood Tŷ Newydd Burial Chamber Whetstones

General articles	Standing stone Dolmen Henge Menhir Stone circle Stone row Concentric stone circle Recumbent stone circle Chambered cairn Harrespil Photographs of stone circles Middle Eastern megaliths

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