Summary of Report on Rollright Stone Circle Investigation
Part One: Background
Investigation Conducted by Richard Haraldsson, Abraham Van Hasding, Carmilla Van Hasding: 28 August, 1899
Report submitted by Richard Haraldsson: 4 September, 1899
The Cross and Crowl Inn
c/o General Post,
Drakesheath,Gloucestershire,
England.

Introduction

A few hundred yards from Little Compton lies the site of the Rollright Stone Circle, perhaps one of the most famous megalithic sites in England. It is shrouded in legends, folklore, and even a dash of murderous scandal.

The Legend

Of course, the primary legend concerns the actual formation of the stones which occurred, so we are told, when an aspiring king and his army marched through the area in a bid to conquer England. In a scene reminiscent of Banquo and MacBeth returning from battle, he was confronted by a witch more than willing to prophesy his chances of success.

Seven long strides shalt thou take,
If Long Compton thou canst see
King of England thou shalt be.

Since Long Compton was almost visible from where he was already standing, the king took this as absolute proof that he would prove victorious.

Stick, stock, stone,
As King of England I shall be known.

Of course, witches always get the upper hand and after taking his seven long strides, the pretentious king found his view of Long Compton blocked by the top of a hill known as The Archdruids Barrow. The witch gleefully cast her spell:

As Long Compton thou canst not see,
King of England thou shalt not be,
Rise up stick and stand still stone,
For King of England thou shalt be none.
Thou and thy men hoar stones shall be
And myself an eldern tree.

There is nothing in the legend to explain why the witch chose to turn herself into an eldern tree— perhaps she was just used to rhyming "be" with "tree" and couldn't stop herself in time. Complicating the matter further is an addendum to the legend which states that when she discovered a small group of men plotting against their leader, she subsequently turned them to stone as well. We do not know whether she did so before or after taking up her arboreal career, nor why if she punished the one group for trying to take over the throne, she should also punish the group trying to undermine the plan. Of course, a witch who turns herself into an inanimate object as part of her curse against someone else may not be the most rational of creatures.

It is said by many that the witch herself was none other than Mother Shipton. Undoubtedly this detail is influenced by the Petrifying Well in the Mother Shipton Cave which has the ability to turn things into stone. (Indeed, the gentleman’s top hat and lady’s bonnet, placed there by a young couple on their way to York Races in 1853, can be seen to this day.)

The Folklore

As for folklore, the locals all insist that number of stones in the Rollright Circle cannot be counted with the same result twice. On the other hand, they also claim that should you succeed in counting the same number of stones three times then either your wish will be granted or you will be cursed. There is no agreement on which is more probable, and surprisingly few people seem inclined to put it to the test.

But true to the gallant heart of the English commoner, there is the occasional brave soul willing to tempt the fates. One baker purportedly used the rather ingenious (and, one would imagine, fairly expensive) tactic of placing a loaf of bread on each stone he counted. Unfortunately, he ran out of loaves before finishing, a rather unusual failure for a baker. Why he didn’t use some other item, possibly more numerous in supply, is just one of the many mysteries here. One would think that sticks and pieces of paper would have worked just as well.

The Murderous Scandal

And then there is the murderous scandal. It was almost 25 years ago in nearby Long Compton (which, as we may recall, is blocked by sight from the stone circle due to the The Archdruids Barrow) that the body of Ann Turner was found. She had been pinned to the ground by a pitchfork through her throat, and the sign of the cross had been carved across her face and chest. James Heywood was charged with the crime, his motive being that she believed her to be a witch. He claimed: "It's she who brings the floods and drought. Her spells withered the crops in the field. Her curse drove my father to an early grave!" He was convicted and served the rest of his life in prison.