28/08/2023
One of my favourite places to visit when I go and stay at the cottage
Legend has it that 9 ladies were dancing on the Sabbath to a fiddler (the King stone) and the group was turned to stone for their sins. The stone circle has an approximate diameter of 10.8 meters and is made from local millstone grit.
The site was first documented in 1782 by antiquarian Hayman Rooke, who later drew a sketch of the area. Etched upon the King stone is the name Bill Stumps. This is thought to be Victorian era graffiti, and a possible reference to Charles Dickens first novel ‘The Pickwick Papers’, in which a marker stone is carved with the same name.
As with many ancient megalithic sites, there is no solid evidence to suggest what this site was traditionally used for, although it is clear that this was a very sacred place to the people of the time. Some suggest that the circle was used as a burial mound, a religious meeting place, or a place for ceremony and worship.
The site is still used today as a place of celebration and worship by the modern Pagan community. Hundreds of followers of this faith flock here every year on important dates such as the spring equinox and the winter solstice, and you can often find offerings left in the centre of the stone circle as a token of gratitude or to ask for blessings to be bestowed upon them.
When visiting the site today, you get a sense of majestic stillness in the air, you can feel the energy that once made this site so special to the ancient peoples who lived here. The Nine Ladies Stone Circle is not one to be missed on your visit to the Peak District.
Facilities
There is limited roadside parking spaces available along Birchover road and Lees road.
If no roadside parking is available, head to Cratcliffe parking area DE4 2LZ, this is 1.5 miles walk from the Stone Circle.
There are no eating or toilet facilities on site.
Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead at all times.
The area is not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs due to the uneven terrain.
