Recommended by Donna
To be honest, for me, this site was a pleasant accident! Snaking across the countryside from Wooler to Berwick-upon-Tweed I saw a sign for the Duddo Stones. A Neolithic (New Stone Age) set of 5 standing stones (although there was once 7) and still the subject of much archaeological interest, they are encased by the most spectacular views of the Cheviot Hills and surrounding countryside.
The stones have been hewn from sandstone and have been weathered by our (often harsh) Northumbrian weather across 4,000 years. It’s a wonder to touch them and think of the many hands that have done the same thing over time and to contemplate the gatherings at the site that came before. Whether these stones acted as a compass, a clock or if they oversaw burials or rituals, they’re quite a wonder to see and it really did give me food for thought to be amongst them. To see the wildlife set against such spectacular scenery was the icing on the cake for me!
Duddo is on the B6354, north of Etal. The stones belong to English Heritage but access to the site is by permission of the land owner who has signed where to park and asked visitors not to block the field gate. Please park courteously and, as always, observe the Country Code. Wear comfy shoes as it’s around a 15-minute walk amongst crops and the path can be rough and uneven.
