photos by Mick of the Yorkshire Guide, with permission

Building Stonehenge-like constructions based on fantasies about druids and their mystic, perhaps grotesque, rituals among the stones became the fashion in Great Britain from the late 1700s into the 1800s*. Perhaps it is a matter of the Brits once again being way ahead of the curve!

This Druids’ or Druid’s Temple stands near Ilton in Yorkshire, and is an oval rather than a circle, looking more like a ruined longbarrow than a henge, but we include it because of the builder’s intent. You can read a little of its story here, and more pictures here. It has an altar stone, a heel stone, and other megalithic paraphernalia associated with it.

The designer seems to have been caught up in a romantic vision of magical druidism. Interesting how often people feel they must improve on Stonehenge,  considering its popularity. Even in pictures people add various colours and sky effects as if the original just isn’t good enough. Score for this gaudy bauble of a replica: 7½ druids. Nice stones! And it’s another example of modern megaliths built where ancient ones abound.

*[Note: Several more older Stonehenge-like follies exist in Great Britain, but we cannot find pictures and so cannot bring them to you.]