Hag Stones

The Hag Stones near Penrith are Bronze Age burial cairns that sit on moorland with proper views across the Pennines. You're looking at ancient stone circles and standing stones here - the sort of thing that stops you mid-walk and makes you wonder what life was like when people were hauling these rocks into place.

Walkers get the most from this spot. It's not a visitor centre with tea and gift shops; it's genuinely just the stones themselves in their landscape. The site demands some effort to reach, which means fewer tourists clogging the place up, so if you prefer your archaeology without crowds, this delivers. The moorland setting is windswept and exposed - bring a decent jacket because there's not much shelter once you're out there.

There's no admission fee and no set opening hours, which is typical for archaeological sites of this age. You need to allow a good couple of hours including the walk to reach them properly. The terrain is rough underfoot in places, so proper boots matter.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby parks like Park Foot or Waterfoot Caravan Park, the Hag Stones work well as a half-day excursion from Penrith. They sit well with other walks around the Eden Valley. The site rewards patience and decent weather - don't bother on a day when the clouds are down, because the whole appeal is being out in the landscape, not just staring at wet rocks.