The Wet Withens

Embanked Stone Circle

The Wet Withens, Embanked Stone Circle

The Wet Withens gets its name from the old name for willow and has to be one of the best prehistoric sites in The Peak District. On a day like the day of my first visit, when the sun is shining and the warm breeze is blowing away the last vestiges of the previous night’s rain then this site is delightful. The landscape stretches huge all around from east to west, revealing many points and hilltops on the horizon, that must have had their own sacred meaning in ancient times.

I counted 13 upright stones, set in a low rubble embankment approximately 14m in diameter, although at least one of these uprights may have been stone showing through from the rubble bank.

Several of the stones have lettering carved into them, such as ‘FU’, ‘U’ and ‘FU100’. I have not found any explanation as to why these markings are there, but I presume they relate to a past excavation?

  • Location: Eyam Moor
  • Other names: Eyam Moor I
  • Nearest Town: Baslow, 5km SW
  • OS Explorer Map: OL24
  • OS Grid: SK22557899
  • GPS: 53º 18’ 25.6” N • 01º 39’ 44.3” W
  • Altitude: 295m
  • Difficulty: Moderate
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