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43-626: Fir Clump Stone Circle was a stone circle in Burderop Wood near Wroughton , Wiltshire , in South West England. The ring was part of a tradition of stone circle construction that spread throughout much of Britain, Ireland, and Brittany during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age , over a period between 3300 and 900  BCE . The purpose of such monuments is unknown, although some archaeologists speculate that

86-599: A few miles distant from one another; for instance, Fir Clump was a mile south of the Broome. All of these northern Wiltshire circles have been destroyed, although the vestiges of one survive: the stones at the Day House Lane Stone Circle at Coate (near Swindon) remain, albeit in a fallen state. Fir Clump stone circle consisted of coarse sarsen megaliths, arranged as a double concentric circle. The archaeologists David Field and David McOmish noted that

129-521: A local tradition that there had been a large stone circle near the railway bridge outside Swindon Old Town and the old Marlborough road to Ladder Hill. He also recorded that the circle had been broken up about thirty years prior and that he did not know how many stones had been part of the circle. He added that many small pieces of sarsen could be found at the site. The contents of Passmore's notebooks and their references to Fir Clump stone circle were not published until 2004, after they had been purchased by

172-755: A party-political basis, and at the elections held in May 2023 all elected councillors stood for the Labour Party . The parish offices and council chamber are in the Broadgreen Community Centre in the town centre. The north-western boundary of South Swindon is formed by the Great Western Main Line , while the southern boundary is primarily the M4 motorway . The eastern boundary with Nythe, Eldene and Liden parish largely follows

215-542: A reference to the Fir Clump ring, although in Passmore's notebooks, published in 2004, the antiquarian differentiated the Fir Clump and Hodson examples as separate circles. Fir Clump stone circle was rediscovered in 1965 by the borough surveyor Richard Reiss, who noted that at the time the sarsen stones were fallen. He produced a plan of the site as it then existed. In 1969, these stones were removed during construction of

258-407: A stone circle is found in association with a burial pit or burial chamber, but most of these monuments have no such known association because of a lack of archaeological investigation. Recumbent stone circles are a variation containing a single large stone placed on its side. The stones are often ordered by height, with the tallest being the portals, with gradually reducing heights around each side of

301-790: Is in the Italian Alps. As early as 1579, scholars in Germany described large erect stone circles near Ballenstedt . In 2001, a stone circle ( Beglik Tash ) was discovered in Bulgaria near the Black Sea. There are several examples in the Alentejo region of Portugal, the oldest and most complete being the Almendres Cromlech near the regional capital of Évora and within its municipality. Remains of many others consist only of

344-499: Is maintained by Swindon Borough Council . The former farmhouse at Coate, where the nature writer Richard Jefferies was born in 1848, is operated as a museum by a small charity. South Swindon Parish Council operates two public libraries which are integrated with the Swindon Borough Library Service. Old Town Library was transferred to the parish from Swindon Borough Council in 2017. Badbury Park Library

387-400: Is often assumed there are thousands of stone circles across both Great Britain, Ireland and Europe, such enclosures are actually very rare, and constitute a regional form of henge . Examples of true stone circles include Cumbrian circles , henges with inner stones (such as Avebury ), and Cornish stone circles . Stone circles are usually grouped in terms of the shape and size of the stones,

430-462: Is thought to be likely, especially by Aubrey Burl . He thought that such sites in Cumbria are analogous to the kerbs that surround some chamber tombs . Burials have been found at all excavated concentric stone circles: both inhumations and cremations. The burnt remains have been found either within an urn or placed directly in the earth. Megalithic monuments are found in especially great number on

473-591: The Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands , two kinds of megalithic circles are found. The first type consists of single stone circles, whereas the second type comprises an inner circle enclosed within a larger circle (i.e. double stone circles). On the western side of the continent, the Senegambian stone circles can be found. The individual groups are dated from 700 A.D. to 1350 A.D. In the Near East, possibly

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516-537: The M4 motorway . While the transition from the Early Neolithic to the Late Neolithic in the fourth and third millennia BCE saw much economic and technological continuity, there was a considerable change in the style of monuments erected, particularly in what is now southern and eastern England. By 3000 BCE, the long barrows , causewayed enclosures , and cursuses that had predominated in

559-448: The M4 motorway . Burl called this destruction "a megalithic tragedy". Stone circle The archetypical stone circle is an uncluttered enclosure, large enough to congregate inside, and composed of megalithic stones. Often similar structures are named 'stone circle', but these names are either historic, or incorrect. Examples of commonly misinterpreted stone circles are ring cairns , burial mounds , and kerb cairns . Although it

602-666: The Middle Neolithic ( c.  3200 –2500 BC). Around that time, stone circles began to be built in the coastal and lowland areas towards the north of the United Kingdom . The Langdale axe industry in the Lake District may have been an important early centre for circle building , perhaps because of its economic power. Many had closely set stones, perhaps similar to the earth banks of henges . Others were constructed from boulders placed stably on

645-621: The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society . In an 1894 article in The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine , Passmore briefly mentioned the presence of "a number of sarsens, which may or may not have formed part of a circle", at Hodson , which is adjacent to Burderop Wood. He added that a line of stones appeared to emerge from this putative circle and head in the direction of Coate. In 2000, Burl listed this description as

688-565: The Dorcan Stream (a small tributary of the River Cole ). The parish includes neighbourhoods and communities with distinct identities. These include Walcot, Park North and Park South, Badbury Park, Lawn, Coate, Old Town, and Swindon's urban centre. The East Wichel area of Wichelstowe is within the parish, while Mid Wichel and West Wichel are part of Wroughton parish. South Swindon covers Swindon's Town Centre area, which includes

731-587: The Early Neolithic were no longer built, and had been replaced by circular monuments of various kinds. These include earthen henges , timber circles , and stone circles. Stone circles exist in most areas of Britain where stone is available, with the exception of the island's south-eastern corner. They are most densely concentrated in south-western Britain and on the north-eastern horn of Scotland, near Aberdeen . The tradition of their construction may have lasted 2,400 years, from 3300 to 900 BCE, with

774-776: The European Atlantic fringe and in Great Britain and Ireland. There are approximately 1300 stone circles in Great Britain and Ireland. Experts disagree on whether the construction of megaliths in Britain developed independently or was imported from mainland Europe. A 2019 comprehensive radiocarbon dating study of megalithic structures across Europe and the British Isles concluded that construction techniques were spread to other communities via sea routes, starting from north-western France. In contrast,

817-659: The French archaeologist Jean-Pierre Mohen in his book Le Monde des Megalithes wrote that the British Isles are "outstanding in the abundance of standing stones, and the variety of circular architectural complexes of which they formed a part ... strikingly original, they have no equivalent elsewhere in Europe – strongly supporting the argument that the builders were independent." Some theories suggest that invaders from Brittany may have been responsible for constructing Stonehenge. Although stone circles are widely distributed across

860-590: The Town Gardens in Swindon's Old Town. Swindon railway station is in the parish, as is Swindon's main bus interchange at Fleming Way. South Swindon parish has direct responsibility for maintaining several of Swindon's most prominent parks, including Queen's Park , the Town Gardens in Old Town, and GWR Park in the town's historic Railway Village . The parish is also home to Coate Water Country Park , which

903-563: The archaeologist Aubrey Burl , these destroyed examples have left behind "only frustrating descriptions and vague positions". Most of the known Wiltshire circles were erected on low-lying positions in the landscape. In the area south of Swindon , as many as seven possible stone circles are reported as having existed: Fir Clump Stone Circle, Swindon Old Church Stone Circle , Broome Stone Circle , Day House Lane Stone Circle , Coate Reservoir Stone Circle , Hodson Stone Circle , and Winterbourne Bassett Stone Circle . Often, these circles were only

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946-406: The area south of Swindon in northern Wiltshire. Around the 1860s, the megaliths of Fir Clump stone circle were levelled. In the 1890s, the antiquarian A. D. Passmore observed that the circle was no longer visible. Some of the fallen megaliths were rediscovered in 1965 by the archaeologist Richard Reiss, who described and measured the monument. In 1969, these stones were removed during construction of

989-419: The areas which now form part of South Swindon were part of Swindon's non-parished area. Following a Community Governance Review in 2017, four new parishes were created on 1 April, covering all of Swindon's non-parished area. The parish was formed from parts of the unparished area of Swindon and the parish of Chiseldon . The parish was created with the official name of Central Swindon South. Representatives of

1032-849: The axial stone. Examples can be found throughout Continental Europe, from the Black Sea to Brittany . Locations in France include several in Brittany (two on the island of Er Lannic and two more suggested at Carnac ), several in the south of France on the Causse de Blandas in the Cevennes , in the Pyrenees , and in the Alps (e.g. the Petit Saint Bernard ). One notable stone circle

1075-573: The central anta (as they are known in the Alentejo). This sometimes appears to have been used as an altar but more often as a central burial structure, originally surrounded by megaliths that show only sparsely survived erosion and human activities. These circles are also known as harrespil in the Basque country , where villagers call them mairu -baratz or jentil -baratz, meaning "pagan garden (cemetery)". They refer to mythological giants of

1118-425: The circle appeared to be "slightly oval in outline". The outer ring, which was found to be fragmentary, measured 107 metres (351 ft) by 86.5 metres (284 ft) in diameter. The inner ring measured 86.5 metres (284 ft) by 73.7 metres (242 ft) and was flattened on the northern side. Around 125 metres (410 ft) to the west of the circle was a stone row measuring 102 metres (335 ft) in length that

1161-462: The circle, down to the recumbent stone, which is the lowest. This type is found throughout Great Britain, Ireland and Brittany, with 71 examples in Scotland and at least 20 in south-west Ireland. In the latter nation they are generally called axial stone circles , including Drombeg stone circle near Rosscarbery , County Cork. Scottish recumbent circles are usually flanked by the two largest of

1204-562: The foundation trenches, and final construction. Growing evidence suggests that megalithic constructions began as early as 5000 BC in northwestern France and that the custom and techniques spread via sea routes throughout Europe and the Mediterranean region from there. The Carnac Stones in France are estimated to have been built around 4500 BC, and many of the formations include megalithic stone circles. The earliest stone circles in Great Britain were erected 3200–2500 BC, during

1247-450: The ground rather than standing stones held erect by a foundation trench. Recent research shows that the two oldest stone circles in Great Britain ( Stenness on Orkney and Callanish on the Isle of Lewis ) were constructed to align with solar and lunar positions. Most sites do not contain evidence of human dwelling, suggesting that stone circles were constructed for ceremonies. Sometimes,

1290-463: The island, Ireland has two main concentrations: in the Cork / Kerry area and in mid- Ulster . The latter typically consist of a greater number of small stones, usually 1' (0.3 metres) high, and are often found in upland areas and on sites that also contain a stone alignment . The Cork–Kerry stone circles tend to be more irregular in shape with larger but fewer and more widely-spaced orthostats around

1333-548: The late Neolithic to the end of the early Bronze Age and are found in England and Scotland. Cobble pavements have been found in the centre of many examples. Connected features at some sites include central mounds, outlying standing stones, and avenues or circular banks on which the stones are set. Alternatively, they may be replicas of earlier timber circles rebuilt in stone, especially the examples in Wessex . A funerary purpose

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1376-569: The major phase of the building taking place between 3000 and 1300 BCE. These stone circles typically show very little evidence of human visitation during the period immediately following their creation. The historian Ronald Hutton noted that this suggests that they were not sites used for rituals that left archaeologically visible evidence, but may have been deliberately left as "silent and empty monuments". The archaeologist Mike Parker Pearson argues that in Neolithic Britain, stone

1419-634: The new parish unsuccessfully petitioned Swindon Borough Council to change the name to South Swindon in November 2017. Despite refusal of this request, the parish chose to use "South Swindon Parish Council" as a trading name. Following a renewed request in October 2023, Swindon Borough Council consented to formally change the name of the parish to South Swindon. The change happened on 1 April 2024. The parish elects 23 councillors at elections held every four years. All elections to date have been contested on

1462-510: The oldest stone circles in the world were found at Atlit Yam (about 8000 BC). The locality is now submerged near the Levantine Mediterranean coast. Other locations include India or Japan. See more in the relevant Misplaced Pages category . Coate, Swindon South Swindon , formerly Central Swindon South , is a civil parish in the town of Swindon , in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire , England. The parish covers

1505-680: The pre-Christian era. No example has survived in a good state of preservation, but, like the Alentejo, the Basque Country is dotted with eroded and vandalized examples of many such structures. Ancient stone circles are found throughout the Horn of Africa . Booco in northeastern Somalia contains a number of such old structures. Small stone circles here surround two enclosed platform monuments, which are set together. The circles of stone are believed to mark associated graves. At Emba Derho in

1548-422: The side of the circle opposite the recumbent stone. These are known as 'portals', as they form an entrance into the circle. Often the portals are turned so that their flat sides face each other, rather than facing the centre of the circle. A concentric stone circle is a type of prehistoric monument consisting of a circular or oval arrangement of two or more stone circles set within one another. They were in use from

1591-615: The southern part of the central area of the town, including the Old Town area, and extends south to take in Wichelstowe and Coate Water . In 2021 it had a population of 62,871. South Swindon is the largest civil parish in the Borough of Swindon by population, and the sixth largest civil parish by population in England . The parish borders Central Swindon North , Chiseldon , Liddington , Nythe, Eldene and Liden , Stratton St Margaret , West Swindon and Wroughton . Prior to 2017,

1634-415: The span of their radius, and their population within the local area. Although many theories have been advanced to explain their use, usually related to providing a setting for ceremony or ritual, no consensus exists among archaeologists regarding their intended function. Their construction often involved considerable communal effort, including specialist tasks such as planning, quarrying, transportation, laying

1677-494: The standing stones immediately on either side. These are known as 'flankers'. The stones are commonly graded in height with the lowest stones being diametrically opposite to the tall flankers. The circle commonly contains a ring cairn and cremation remains. Irish axial stone circles are found in Cork and Kerry counties. These do not have tall flanking stones on either side of the recumbent stone. Instead, there are two tall stones at

1720-430: The stones represented supernatural entities for the circle's builders. A double concentric circle consisting of sarsen megaliths , the Fir Clump stone circle was oval-shaped. The outer ring measured 107 metres (351 ft) by 86.5 metres (284 ft) in diameter, and the inner ring 86.5 metres (284 ft) by 73.7 metres (242 ft). It was one of at least seven stone circles that are known to have been erected in

1763-407: The town's main shopping district, as well as Swindon's Old Town which has further retail and leisure. All of Swindon's commercial theatre venues are in the parish ( Wyvern Theatre , Swindon Arts Centre and MECA), as well as one of the town's three multiplex cinemas. South Swindon Parish Council delivers an events service which operates year round across the parish, although the main focus is events in

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1806-635: Was aligned on a north/north-west to south/south-east axis. The double concentric circle mirrors the Winterbourne Bassett Stone Circle, which was similarly found to consist of two concentric rings; it is also possible that the Coate Reservoir site had a double circle. In the late nineteenth century, the antiquarian A. D. Passmore wrote two notebooks in which he discussed archaeological sites in Wiltshire. He recorded

1849-400: Was associated with the dead, and wood with the living. Other archaeologists have proposed that the stone might not represent ancestors, but rather other supernatural entities, such as deities. Stone circles were erected in the area of modern Wiltshire, the best known of which are Avebury and Stonehenge . All of the other examples are ruined, and in some cases have been destroyed. As noted by

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