Northumberland’s own version of Stonehenge has been photographed in striking fashion, blanketed in snow by a local landscape photographer.
The Duddo Five Stones, situated about four miles north of the village of Duddo and roughly eight miles south-west of Berwick-upon-Tweed, are among the county’s most impressive prehistoric features.
The images were taken by Jim Scott, a Northumberland photographer known for capturing rural scenery, during snowy conditions in December 2023. The stone circle is thought to date back to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, around 2000 BC, and is considered one of the best-preserved ancient sites in the region.
Although only five standing stones remain today, excavations carried out in the 1890s uncovered the sockets of two additional stones, suggesting the circle originally consisted of seven.
Occasionally called 'the singing stones' for the whistle that the formation creates on windy days
Constructed from locally sourced soft sandstone and laid out in a circle approximately 10 metres across, the monument commands wide-ranging views over the Cheviot Hills to the south and, in clear conditions, towards the Lammermuir Hills and the Scottish Borders to the north.
The function of the Duddo Five Stones remains uncertain, with archaeologists proposing various interpretations, including ritual or ceremonial activity, ancestor veneration, solar or astronomical alignment, or use as a site for seasonal assemblies.
Duddo Five Stones from afar
The stones are located on privately owned land, but visitors are permitted access along a footpath from the B6354 to the north of Duddo. Although there is no official public right of way, the path is clearly signposted and open for use.
