Following an initiative by the Cotswold Conservation Board, the Rollright Stone monuments were picked out of 80 nominated places of outstanding interest to become one of the’ Seven Wonders of the Cotswolds’.

Following a very successful campaign, over 500 members of the public took part and voted in the effort to celebrate 45 years of the area being designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The other ‘Seven Wonders’ include Cleeve Hill and Common, the Cotswold Way National Trail, and Woodchester Mansion and Park. The Cotswold Conservation Board plan to create some new ‘wonder walks’ incorporating all seven wonders. This is a terrific honour for our monuments and for the Rollright Trust, and illustrates not only just how important the Rollright Stones are considered to be by the people and visitors to the Cotswolds, but how essential that we preserve them for future generations. We are always looking for any help we can get throughout the year and if you can spare a few hours a week/month or whatever, you will be most welcome to be a part of the team. Contact Robin www.cnaag.com.   Image courtesy of Mel Gigg

The Transit of Venus

In case you didn’t join us on 6th June to observe the TRANSIT OF VENUS across the face of the Sun - watch the video here: http://www.witneytv.co.uk/witney-tv-video-archive.html

Images courtesy of John Vincent (picture of Venus in transit)  and Mike Louise Appleton (picture of observers at Rollright)

The Rollright Stones Witch

Over the weekend of 21/22nd April 2012, the environmental artist David Gosling, with the help of his sons Adam and Luke and friend Rob, created a wooden sculpture of a witch close to the King Stone.

David was inspired by the well known legend of the Rollright Witch:

A King with ambitions to conquer all of England had got as far as the Rollrights when up popped a witch. According to some accounts she was Mother Shipton of Shipton-under-Wychwood (c.1488-1551). She challenged the King with these words:

“Seven long strides shalt thou take And if Long Compton thou canst see, King of England thou shalt be.”

Off went the King, shouting:

“Stick, stock, stone As King of England I shall be known.”
On his seventh stride the ground rose up before him in a long mound sometimes known as the Arch-Druid’s barrow.

The witch laughed and declared:

“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 I myself an eldern tree.”

And so it was that the King became the King Stone, his men the King’s Men Stone Circle, and his treacherous and conniving knights the Whispering Knights, although some say that the knights were actually at prayer.

The Witch then transformed herself into an elder tree, which some say is still standing guard over the site today…...

The witch is made of the branches of Wellingtonia trees that have just been ‘dead wooded’ donated by Compton Verney, held together with wire, and will hopefully remain on the site for the whole of the summer.  You should come and see it.

For a short video on the Witch Sculpture go to: http://www.witneytv.co.uk/videos/rollright-witch

For further information on David and his work: www.davidgosling.com

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