Threestoneburn Stone Circle


Threestoneburn Stone Circle is an archaeological site, a stone circle near the village of Ilderton and about south of Wooler, in Northumberland, England. It is a scheduled monument.

Description

The circle, of the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age, is situated in a large clearing in the modern afforestation of Threestoneburn Wood, formerly overlooking a spacious valley to the east. It is on a slight promontory near the confluence of Threestone Burn and one of its tributaries. Its dimensions are north-west to south-east by north-east to south-west. There are 16 stones of local pink granite, set about apart; a larger gap on the east side is thought to be an original entrance. Four of these are upright, with heights ; the rest are recumbent.
About to the north are two granite stones, one of which is recumbent; immediately to their east is an alignment of three stones lying in the surface layer of peat, apart.

Excavation

There was partial excavation in 1856. A thick layer of peat was found above the ground surface. A flint tool was found, and spreads of charcoal which may be the traces of fire-rituals.