Castlehowe Scar

Nearest town:
Appleby-in-Westmorland (10km ENE)
OS reference:
NY587155
OS sheet:
91
Latitude:
54° 31' 58.27 N
Longitude:
2° 38' 17.89 W
Added to TMA by

Sites within Castlehowe Scar

​

​ •

location_on photo ondemand_video forum description link ​

​

​ •

location_on photo ondemand_video forum description link ​

Images

Image of Castlehowe Scar (Stone Circle) by markj99

Ring Feeder in Centre of Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle viewed from E. (27.02.23)

Image credit: Mark Johnstone
markj99
markj99 Mar 5, 2023
Image of Castlehowe Scar (Stone Circle) by thesweetcheat

The Castlehowe welcoming committee in front of the circle. The brooding presence of the Far Eastern Fells fills the skyline.

Image credit: A. Brookes (15.9.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 18, 2012
Image of Castlehowe Scar (Stone Circle) by Jane

just like Little Meg, I thought.

Image credit: Jane Tomlinson
Jane
Jane Jun 14, 2004

Articles

Castlehowe Scar

markj99
markj99 Mar 5, 2023

Visited 27.02.23

I visited Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle on my way back home from Cornwall. I was disappointed to see a feed ring in the centre of the circle (picture submitted). This is not a recommended conservation option!

Castlehowe Scar

postman
postman Sep 17, 2012

There was a whole lot of activity round here in the distant past, the massive works at Shap are two kilometers to the west and southwest, North takes us past Gunnerkeld and on through a string of sites that doesn’t really end till you get to Broomrigg twenty miles away and starting here at Castlehowe Scar going south across Oddendale there must be a dozen sites left out of who knows how many, there is much to see and several days would be needed to see all that a twenty mile square has to offer.

Ten large stones, three larger than the others from this now misshapen ring, one large stone has a long quartzy rib coiling round and over it, it’s quite lovely. Another stone has a totally flat surface, pink and grey all of them.
There is a rumour about another smaller ring in the same field, and a stone row in the next field south, I think we saw them and I at least found them unconvincing, the smaller ring seems in line with the row so it could just be an old field boundary. That said I bet time team turn up soon and find all that and much more. you see.

The gate is still locked and getting more and more rickety with every winter and every climbing booted walker, that’s us then. The trailer with a water container is still there and stood upon it we can look over the stones quite well.

Castlehowe Scar

C
CARL Oct 7, 2010

Visited 18.9.10
I really liked this place. Easy to get to but with a feeling of remoteness.
Take the minor road east out of Shap which takes you past the cemetery and over the M6. Once you have gone over the motorway take the first turning on the right and you will see the stone circle in the field at the turning. There is plenty of room to park and it is a simple matter of climbing over the locked gate to get up close to the stones. (Even if you are unable to climb the gate the stones are easy to see) Up close the stones are a nice warm pink colour. I counted 10 stones. There are decent views to be had and I would well recommend a visit. As with all the sites I visited this week in the north of England I had the place to myself.

Castlehowe Scar

faerygirl
faerygirl Jun 26, 2010

Not only is the gate padlocked, but its also very rickety so those of us who are a little on the plumper side of slim are best photographing from the lane. The barbed wire surrounding the wall seems a little mean too. AND the farmer had parked a water butt directly behind the circle, as if to stop you from any kind of pleasure from this pretty little circle. Charming. I considered driving my car through the gate but little Ralf is already a scratched and battered mess so I opted against it.

Castlehowe Scar

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jun 14, 2009

After a day braving the elements........ and having just endured the mother of all thunderstorms on Iron Hill [not far from The Thunder Stone, of course] the sun came out and bathed this lovely little circle in light for the remainder of the day.

The gate is still padlocked and the farmer drove past while I was there.... paused... and then carried on. Using this field exclusively to feed a few motley beasts is sacrilege, it really is.

An hour or so here is a great way to end any day.

Castlehowe Scar

M
matthewpemmott May 13, 2007

The circle is remakably intact, which considering it’s right up against a wall, and obviously in a well used field, strikes me as a little suscpicious. The cynic in me thinks that this is merely a collection of stone moved from elsewhere.....but who knows!!

About 10 metres to the North is a flattened stone circle, consisting of about 7 semi buried stones, probably only noticable during winter when the grass is shorter. Not sure if this is another cirlce, another cairn or something altogether different.

Castlehowe Scar

Jane
Jane Jun 14, 2004

This is so close to a little lane, you could look at this without even getting out of your car. But do so, because it is quite charming. Climb over the gate (it’s padlocked) and you’ll see that the stones are big, almost out of proportion thethe diameter of the circle. But it’s quite a complete. It has the same character as Little Meg to me.

Castlehowe Scar

Moth
Moth Jul 2, 2003

Sunday 29 June 2003
On the way to Oddendale, stopped at Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle. Strange (to us) little circle this one.

There are about 9 or 10 fairly large low ‘boulder’ type stones that make up the ‘circle’. It certainly is quite like Iron Hill and Little Meg (though I’ve personally yet to go to L’il M).

Given that, it’s no surprise that it seemed to us more like a ruined cairn ‘kerb’ circle. Nice on a sunny day though! Shame the locked gate suggests people aren’t very welcome. Didn’t notice the alleged row though. Bugger, I’ll have to go back now.

Castlehowe Scar

fitzcoraldo
fitzcoraldo Jan 8, 2003

No mad sheep today, just a padlocked gate with a barbed wire fence enclosing a poorly repaired stone wall, this sad little circle deserves a little tlc. The sooner the farmers catch onto the custodian tip, the better.

Castlehowe Scar

IronMan
IronMan Apr 2, 2002

This small circle near Oddendale is of a similar size to the nearby Iron Hill cairn circle. When we visited five mad sheep were resident in the field which is fenced off and the gate padlocked. It seemed best just to observe from over the fence as those sheep looked just wrong, one came right up to the fence and wanted attention, another grunted wierdly in the background. Quite sad really.

Topics

Is it really two years since ... 11
FourWinds
FourWinds
Jun 2004

Sites within 20km of Castlehowe Scar

Like all websites everywhere, we use cookies.