Kingscrag Gate

Also known as:
Guinevere's Stone and Queen's Crags
Nearest town:
Hexham (15km E)
OS reference:
NY796708
OS sheets:
86, 87
Latitude:
55° 1' 52.26 N
Longitude:
2° 19' 9.07 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Kingscrag Gate (Cairn(s)) by postman

The three cairns with Kings crag rising beyond.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jun 25, 2019
Image of Kingscrag Gate (Cairn(s)) by postman

Cairns and a rock god, but what is this? anyone know?

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jun 25, 2019
Image of Kingscrag Gate (Cairn(s)) by postman

From just above the cairns, there are plenty of different kinds of sites here, all with a view of this, Gwenhyfar’s chair, the local rock god.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jun 25, 2019
Image of Kingscrag Gate (Cairn(s)) by Hob

Never mind the possible eroded cups with the red stuff, what’s that thing in the background?

Image credit: IH
Hob
Hob Sep 28, 2005
Image of Kingscrag Gate (Cairn(s)) by Hob

The cairns are dotted about beneath this monster of an erratic. That can’t just be by chance, can it?

Image credit: IH
Hob
Hob Mar 18, 2005

Articles

Kingscrag Gate

Hob
Hob Mar 15, 2005

There are 4 recognised cairns in this patch, with a couple of other possibles. They’ve all been robbed out to some extent, but the 10m diameter one at NY79627084 has a clearly visible cist cover in the middle. Close by is another 10m jobby, at NY79617080 and a smaller one of 6m at NY79577086. A bit further towards Kings Crags is the largest of the bunch, at 17m, grid ref. NY79867105.

Whilst there is no direct evidence, it’s got to be a fair bet that these cairns were placed in reference to the phenomenal stone of Gwenhyfar’s chair at queen’s crags, which is easily visible in the pictures, which also played a possible role in the placement of the two small stone circles nearby. It’s a darn complex landscape around this part of the world.

Folklore

Kingscrag Gate
Cairn(s)
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Jun 9, 2009

[A] local tradition of King Arthur is told by Dr. Bruce: “To the north of Sewingshields, two strata of sandstone crop out to the day; the highest points of each ledge are called the King and Queen’s Crag, from the following legend. King Arthur, seated on the furthest rock, was talking with his queen, who, meanwhile, was engaged in arranging her ‘back hair.’ Some expression of the queen’s having offended his majesty, he seized a rock which lay near him, and with an exertion of strength for which the Picts were proverbial, threw it at her, a distance of about a quarter of a mile! The queen with great dexterity caught it upon her comb, and thus warded off the blow; the stone fell between them, where it lies to this very day, with the marks of the comb upon it, to attest the truth of the story. It probably weighs about twenty tons.”

One would imagine the comb marks are those clearly seen at the top of the massive stone in Hob’s photo.

From the Denham Tract called ‘Border Sketches of Folklore’ – you may read the rest at
lib.rochester.edu/camelot/denhamtracts.htm

Topics

Just to put my mind at rest... 12
Hob
Hob
Sep 2005

Sites within 20km of Kingscrag Gate

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