<< Our Photo Pages >> Devils Quoits - Stone Circle in England in Oxfordshire
Submitted by Celia_Haddon on Thursday, 03 August 2023 Page Views: 75483
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Devils Quoits Alternative Name: Devil's QuoitsCountry: England County: Oxfordshire Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Oxford Nearest Village: Stanton Harcourt
Map Ref: SP41120476 Landranger Map Number: 164
Latitude: 51.740043N Longitude: 1.405884W
Condition:
| 5 | Perfect |
| 4 | Almost Perfect |
| 3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
| 2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
| 1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
| 0 | No data. |
| -1 | Completely destroyed |
| 5 | Superb |
| 4 | Good |
| 3 | Ordinary |
| 2 | Not Good |
| 1 | Awful |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
| 4 | Short walk on a footpath |
| 3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
| 2 | A long walk |
| 1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
| 4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
| 3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
| 2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
| 1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
| 0 | no data |
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External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
woodini254 Nype X-Ice VJNewcomb ScottHK radrad schlemba whese001 jimstone Geojazz Brian_Eyes rrmoser cappy Swilliams would like to visit
Hordernm visited on 5th Jan 2025 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 I’ve been meaning to come out here for a while and finally made it. Definitely worth the trip!
It’s a restored henge and circle but it’s well done. And the setting next to the gravel pit lake is very nice. Just try to ignore the landfill, and the roar of off-road vehicles on the other side of the lake.
The small carpark is a little tricky to find. Follow the signs for the household recycling and you’ll spot it. There is a sign “this way for the DQs” to get you onto the (muddy) footpath between the landfill and lake.
I had it to myself on this wet Sunday morning.
Couplands visited on 31st Dec 2024 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 2 Access: 3
NDM visited on 1st Feb 2023 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 2 Access: 4
Phillwhite visited on 16th Sep 2021 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Restored circle and Henge but fantastic site.
Catrinm visited on 10th Nov 2019 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 4 Although restored well done and still worth a trip if youre passing. It would be good
if smeone on here identified the originals though its pretty obvious on colour and closer inspection. Still be good to know if they were in situ
Harmudge visited on 26th May 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4
NickyD visited on 16th Nov 2015 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 3 Access: 3
graemefield visited on 5th Dec 2012 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 4 Access: 4
StoneLee visited on 8th Sep 2012 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 4
MrG visited on 2nd Apr 2011 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 3 The ambience is good as long as you ignore the fact the site is next to a giant rubbish dump
Richard13 visited on 1st Jul 2009 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 3 Access: 4 An impressive circle-henge, this site is almost a total restoration. A few stones survived the plough until the early 20th century, when they were buried to make room for an airfield. This is turn became a quarry and a landfill site so that the site exists at all is something for which we should be very grateful! It was restored in the early 21st century by re-erecting the remaining stones and replacing others, and restoring the bank and ditch. When I first visited in 2009 the site still seemed quite raw and exposed to the surrounding industry, but now overlooking a lake. Since then the surrounding trees have grown and matured and the old landfill areas have been better landscaped, making for a much improved ambience although there is still some activity around the landfill. However it is a fine place to visit now (May 2020) and as the landscape continues to mature it will only continue to improve.
coin visited - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 3 A strange site accessed by walking through an abandoned airfield base and then next to a now covered landfill site. The circle itself is very impressive but when I visited there was a lot of damage being done by rabbits.
Lazulilou visited - their rating: Cond: -1 Amb: 1 Access: 3 Replica of destroyed stone circle. Stones are created from concrete and the nearby rubbish dump and polluted ground is unsightly.
Worth a visit as it's a strange place
TwinFlamesKiss visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 4 surrounded on 2 sides by a covered over rubbish tip is the down side. The other side it a lovely lake. Lots of overgrowing weeds when we visited, but that was at the end of the lock down.
Unable to access via Route 2. A new housing estate has been built in between the cemetery and circle.
mark_a Humbucker neolithique02 PAB Bladup h_fenton have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.57 Ambience: 3.07 Access: 3.64
Access: Hamish Fenton writes: you can visit pretty much any time you want depending on where you park your vehicle. There are currently no signs saying "This way to the Devils Quoits".
Route 1. (c.450 metres from the car). Just outside Stanton Harcourt of the B4449 a "Recycling Centre" is signposted if you follow the signs to it, then continue just past it you will see a small parking area on your left next to the lake (almost opposite a weighbridge), I think this is where you are supposed to park. the parking area is at the southern end of the lake, there is a gravel path with a wire fence on either side leading off around the lake from the corner of the parking area, follow this path and it will take you around the lake to the Devils Quoits, there are some newly planted trees that you will walk past, when the trees on your right finish, turn sharply around the end of the trees and walk up the slope, you should be at the entrance to the Devils Quoits, there is an information board here.
note: the road to the recycling centre is gated and will be locked when the recycling centre is shut.
Route 2. (1100metres from the car) Go southwards out of Stanton Harcourt immediately as you leave the village there is a footpath sign on your right, continue a short distance along the road there is a cemetery on your left with some parking outside (also some parking on the other side of the road) park your car here. follow the footpath you just saw though the gate and follow the concrete roadway straight until it ends, at the end of the roadway there is a big fence with a path through it and the trackway bears round to the right, follow the trackway for a few metres and there is a stile with a 'permissive footpath' arrow, taker this route it will lead you to the lake, then walk southwards (to your left) down the side of the lake and you will come to the Devils Quoits.
If you walk in from Stanton Harcourt you could potentially visit pretty much anytime you like, there were plenty of people walking their dogs around the henge.
The rabbits are having a great time burrowing in the ditches and banks.
Description of the site prior to restoration, by Celia Haddon:
This is the site near Stanton Harcourt on land worked by Hanson Waste Management belonging to All Souls. Nothing much to see - a largish mound (landscaping thanks to Hanson rather than nature, I suspect), a vague outline of a henge, one huge stone on its side, two other big ones half buried, and some large boulders carefully preserved by the waste people, which are stacked up in case they might be needed for reconstruction. Group visits are possible, but by appointment only.
Note: Top photo is from 1882 showing the largest stone and the photographer Henry Taunt. This was the only stone still standing before WW2, when it was buried. More archive photos on our page
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