Devon stone circle named among UK’s best places to visit this Winter Solstice

A remote Bronze Age stone circle on Dartmoor has been named among the UK’s best hidden locations to visit during the Winter Solstice.

Scorhill Stone Circle, thought to date back more than 4,000 years, has been highlighted for offering a quieter and less managed alternative to sites such as Stonehenge.

The circle, located on open moorland near Gidleigh, is considered by historians and archaeologists to have been a significant ceremonial and ritual site during the Bronze Age, between around 2000 and 700 BC.

While its precise purpose remains debated, many experts believe Scorhill functioned as a communal gathering place, used for ceremonies, feasting or sacred rites by local communities. Some have likened its role to that of a central meeting place within prehistoric society.

The monument forms part of a wider ritual landscape on Dartmoor, surrounded by cairns, stone rows and nearby settlements, including Shovel Down. This has led researchers to suggest it was integrated into a complex system of religious and social practices.

Archaeological studies have also identified evidence that large fires were once lit at the centre of the stone circle, although whether these were linked to funerary rituals, seasonal ceremonies or communal feasts is not known.

Scorhill has also been associated with archaeo-astronomy. One theory suggests that from the centre of the circle, the sun sets directly over the tip of its tallest stone on Midsummer Eve. Some experts believe such alignments indicate the site may have been used to observe solar and lunar cycles, helping Bronze Age communities mark seasonal changes.

During the Winter Solstice, when the sun reaches its lowest arc in the sky, visitors often arrive independently at dawn, seeking a more solitary experience than that offered at heavily managed heritage sites.

Unlike Stonehenge, there are no official events at Scorhill, with people instead gathering informally for personal reflection in the landscape, which can be transformed by frost, snow or early morning mist during winter months.

Dartmoor National Park Authority has previously advised visitors to take care when visiting remote locations in winter, urging people to check weather conditions and wear suitable clothing.

The Winter Solstice takes place on 21 December, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere.