S w i n t o n  D r u i d 's  T e m p l e

 

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Photographs on this page submitted by and copyright of David Tomlinson

William Danby was a notable English eccentric born in 1752. During his lifetime, he and three of his closest friends James Wyatt, John Foss, and Robert Lugar, built a fine mansion for Danby named New Swinton Hall near Ilton. These building works went on for some 50 years and only ended a few years before Danby's death in 1833.

Around the turn of the century, unemployment was high in the area and Danby decided to build a labour intensive recreation of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, paying his workers a mere shilling per day. The great henge William had in mind to be built was to be no pathetic druids circle, this was to be the real thing. A huge elliptical ring of stones perhaps 75ft in length was constructed on the moor. Danby's henge, complete with both a heel and altar stone, is constructed from menhirs, dolmens, sarsens, monoliths and trilithons, some 12ft high apiece. As a centrepiece for his creation, Danby had erected a central monolith set on a ring of 3 rounded steps, all flanked by a tall monolith at each corner. William Danby was a true believer in doing a job properly! Beyond the central monolith lies a second elliptical ring of stones, and finishing off to an enclosure, a little dark cave in the hillside.

A campaign to change the temple's name was begun in the early to mid 1990's as it is said the temple attracts the wrong kind of visitor, as a severed pigs head was found on the main altar stone in the summer of 1993..

As Gwyn Headley points out in his book "Follies Grottoes and Garden Buildings" the more famous Stonehenge in Wiltshire is now off limits to virtually everyone, so the attention of the solstice seeker has been drawn to lesser circles such as this, with inevitable consequences.

Gwyn also explains in his book that a 1910 guide to the district claimed that the builder of the temple had offered to provide any willing individual with food, provided he would live as a hermit within the confines of the temple, speaking to no one or refusing any cutting of the hair or beard. If after a set number of years, usually around 7, of living in this sorry way the happy hermit would be granted annuity, and would then rise to the status of a gentleman. It is thought that several men underwent the challenge, 1 poor fellow managed to endure nearly 4 and a half years, but finally he too had to admit defeat, no doubt the hair from his beard was almost as long as his arms by the end.

There are several standing stones which line the path on the approach to the temple. The temple itself now stands on Forestry commission land and is a popular spot for picnickers. In 1973 many conifers were planted around the site, although a view has been left to the west down towards Leighton reservoir.

Above: A Sham Cromlech

During William Danby's later years, he penned four great literary works of thoughts. "Traveling Thoughts", "Thoughts on various subjects and ideas and realities", "Thoughts chiefly on serious subjects", and finally, published only a year before his death, "Extracts from Young's night thoughts, with observations upon them".

Visiting:-

The visitors to the temple may park a short distance away in a small car park. Follow the signs on foot to the Druid's Temple.

 Co-ords 417500 478700 SE 175 787

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