The Suindune Rag

Looking Back On The Sun

A large kite shaped staning stone in a field beside a road. — The Swindon Stone at Avebury, 2026. Ragman

On the longest day of the year, merry folk gather at old stones to witness the sun through its longest flight. A great crowd aways goes to Stonehenge, but a lot also go to a ring of stones that's closer to home. You may have been there: it's bigger than stonehenge and (some say) far better!

Avebury is just a short ride on the 49 to a stop that puts you right in the middle of the stones. An old church and thatch roofs are held within the ring; all about are grazing sheep and the standing stones, known as 'greywethers'. A 'wether' was an old name for a ram and the stones sometimes look like grey sheep from far off. No one rightly knows why the ring was built thousands of years ago, but it must have meant a lot to them to put themselves out so much.

The largest stone at Avebury stands beside the road towards Swindon; this has earned it a pretty name: 'The Swindon Stone'. However, this wonderful greywether is not the only stone tied to Swindon. There are many stones and rings around swindon, both old and beloved.

The sun put on another show over the summer. It hid behind the moon and laid a shadow over Swindon. We've all seen a bow-shaped moon, but this time it was the sun. Folk could only look at it through the right kind of glasses. Otherwise, when the sun shines through a pin hole, the light falls in the shape of the sun. It happens this way through any small hole; it works through the dapples from the leaves of a tree. As the moon overtakes the sun, the lit up likeness of the sun can be seen going bow shaped too.

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A keyboard. — Get the Swindon Rag in your inbox, 2026. Ragman

Coate Stone Ring

Through a sunny meadow, a winding mown path snakes its way. I came here ten years ago and found aught but an unmarked field. Now, it leads you from stone to stone. This is Swindon's old ring of stones.

Coate Stone Ring is outside the grounds of the lake, beside Day House Lane. Since Badbury Park has been built, the field has been kept nice and tidy. It is behind the houses of the new neighbourhood and there are easy walk-throughs to it.

It's not well known in Swindon but Coate Stones are truly old. They would make a rightful spot to mark the longest day.

Two stones lead down in a patch of mown grass, within the long grass of a meadow. — Two stones of the Coate Stone Ring, 2026. Ragman

Haydon Wick Henge

In 2019 stones were found either side of Purton road. Somehow they had been lost amongst the greens and forgotten. It is said that they were put there when Thamesdown drive was built, but it isn't truly known.

They mark the edge of Haydon Wick and you go between them as you drive in, right after crossing the river Ray.

A Magic Ring

The stone rings Swindon is most know for nowadays are the ones we drive around, The Magic Roundabout most of all. Wouldn't it be fun if it was also a ring of stones? When it was first made it was marked out with big rubber rings, but now standing stones could mark each island of the Magic. It might bring some much needed luck to the County Ground!

The shadow of a tree on a wall and all the dapples are bow shaped. — The dapples of a tree looking bow-shaped, 2026. Ragman

Wichelstowe Stone Ring

In Wichelstowe there are stones that some folk in the neighbourhood call the 'Fairy Circle'. It's a ring made out of stones that came from Cavendish Square when it was done up.

The ring sits around an eating bench and beside a fresh grove of trees; across the field is a children's playground.

A bench in the middle of half a ring of stones. — One half of Wichelstowe Stone Ring, 2026. Ragman

The Weather

You may have felt that it has been mighty hot lately, I surely have! It has slowed down the Rag a little...

One thing to look out for in the heat is markings in the dry grass. Often, the grass dries sooner where something else once was. It could mean that there's something below the ground. If you see markings it might show you the layout of roads or buildings that once stood. At Lydiard Park you can often see the old layout of the grounds.

Another happening in the heat is that some trees are having a fake fall. The trees are behaving like fall has come early, but actually they are dropping their leaves because the heat has been too much. Berries and other tree crops might grow early too.