I’ve always had a fascination for stone circles and have, over the years, photographed a number of them, so I was intrigued to discover there was one in Surrey. I’ve since visited it a number of times, and on my very first visit I met Eleanor Anstruther, the land owner whose idea it was to build the circle. Although laid relatively recently, the story behind them is no less interesting. BBC Sounds have made a podcast, interviewing Eleanor about the stones, and I was lucky enough to have one of my images used to promote the podcast.
In the summer of 1998 a commune gathered at the foot of Hascombe Hill, where once an Iron Age fort had existed. Word had spread of plans to build a stone circle by hand, and many from the fringes of society had gathered here to play their part. Pagans, members of the Order of Bard, Ovates and Druids all came and made this their home.
The stones arrived on the back of a truck from a quarry in Portland, Dorset. Eighteen stones in total, but one broke in half, and so nineteen were used to depict the nineteen phases of the moon.
A May Queen was chosen, and a number of suitors for the role of King ran down the hill from the Iron Age fort in a race for the crown. The May King and Queen were to fall in love for real, but that love would last for little over a year…
With the help of railway sleepers, telegraph poles, ropes and sticks all nineteen stones were eventually erected. Disagreements began to occur amongst the separate factions of the commune. To make matters worse a yeast infection broke out, quickly spreading through the community, and so began an obsessive cutting out of wheat, dairy and sugar.
The May Queen experienced a dramatic weight loss, but no one intervened, assuming everything would be fine. Tragically, the May Queen died, and with her, so did the commune. The circle closed, dwellings were dismantled and packed up and everyone left. A tree was planted beside the circle to mark her passing, her death signalling the end of their hopes and dreams.
You can hear the full podcast here
