Editing Castlerigg stone circle (section)

==Description==
The stones are [[glacial erratic]] boulders composed of volcanic rock from the [[Borrowdale Volcanic Group]]. Both andesitic lavas and tuffs (volcanic ashes) are represented.{{Original research inline|date=January 2024|certain=y}} Castlerigg sits on a deposit of glacial till,<ref>British Geological Survey GeoIndex{{Full citation needed|date=January 2024}}</ref> and it is likely that the boulders were originally part of this deposit. The stones are set in a flattened circle, measuring {{convert|32.6|m}} at its widest and {{convert|29.5|m}} at its narrowest. The heaviest stone has been estimated to weigh around 16 tons and the tallest stone measures approximately 2.3 meters high. There is a 3.3 meter wide gap in its northern edge, which may have been an entrance. Within the circle, abutting its eastern quadrant, is a roughly rectangular setting of a further 10 stones. The circle was probably constructed around 3200 BC (Late [[Neolithic]]/Early [[Bronze Age]]), making it one of the earliest stone circles in Britain and possibly in Europe.{{sfn|Burl|2005}} It is important to [[archaeoastronomy|archaeoastronomers]] who have noted that the sunrise during the [[September equinox]] (Autumn equinox) appears over the top of Threlkeld Knott, a hill 3.5&nbsp;km to the east.

There is a tradition, as with other stone circles in Britain, that it is impossible to count the number of stones within Castlerigg; every attempt will result in a different answer. This tradition, however, may not be far from the truth. Due to erosion of the soil around the stones, caused by the large number of visitors to the monument, several smaller stones have 'appeared' next to some of the larger stones. Because these stones are so small, they are likely to have been packing stones used to support the larger stones when the circle was constructed and would originally have been buried. Differences in opinion as to the exact number of stones within Castlerigg are usually down to whether the observer counts these small packing stones, or not; some count 38 and others, 42. The 'official' number of stones, as represented on the [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]] information board at the monument, is 40.

In the early 20th century, a single outlying stone was erected by a farmer approximately 90m to the south west of Castlerigg. This stone has many linear 'scars' along its side from being repeatedly struck by a [[plough]], suggesting that it was once buried below the surface and also why the farmer dug it up. It is not possible to say whether this stone was originally part of the circle, or a naturally deposited boulder.