How old?
c. 2500–1000 BC
It was already ancient before the Romans arrived in these islands.
What happened here?
Clues, not answers
The northern circle is about 31.5 metres across with twenty upright slabs; the southern is about 33 metres across with twenty-nine. Excavation recorded charcoal beneath part of the monument. Cairns, ring cairns and a possible henge nearby place the pair within an extensive later prehistoric ceremonial landscape.
The unusual pairing may express relationships between groups, ceremonies or stages of movement through the moor. No single interpretation is proven, and claims of precise astronomical function require caution.
The old story says
Folklore
Their name compares the stones to grey sheep seen at a distance. A familiar Dartmoor tale says a farmer was tricked into buying the stones as a flock, only discovering the deception when the mist lifted.
Remember: folklore tells us what later people believed about a place. It is not necessarily what its builders believed.
Try this
Five things to notice
- Which is the tallest stone?
- What can you see on the horizon?
- Do the stones look different from nearby rocks?
- Where does the sun rise and set?
- How does the place sound when everyone is quiet?
Stone detective mission
Evidence or story?
Choose one thing you can see and one idea people tell about the place. Sketch both, then label the first evidence and the second story. Could new evidence ever change the story?
Look closely, draw and ask questions—but never climb on stones, move anything or leave an offering. Stay with your adult and follow every access sign.