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| The Rollright Stones, Oxfordshire |
In 1500, so we believe, a group of Knights was moving in a clandestine fashion across the Oxfordshire countryside. They had evil intent for they wished one of their number to become King of England.
But they fell foul of a witch called Mother Shipton who gave their leader what seemed to be an easy task. If he could take seven strides and then be able to see the village of Long Compton, he would indeed become King. Being aware of the wisdom of always humouring a witch, he readily accepted the challenge and took the steps. Then, mysteriously, a long barrow rose before him completely cutting off his visibility.
The witch, cackling with glee in a most sinister manner, then swore that “Thou and thy men hoar stones shall be”.
A far-fetched story? Not so.
The stones are called the Rollright Stones and can be seen near Long Compton. There is The King’s Stone, The King’s Men and The Whispering Knights in three distinct monuments. We know that Mother Shipton punished the would-be King and also petrified his men, but the Whispering Knights she discovered in a small group, slightly away from the main crowd, plotting against the rest... so she punished them as well. Clearly not a woman to be trifled with.
But now it gets really interesting. Mother Shipton was last seen just before her death, in 1551. The monuments however date back approximately 5000 years and are believed to be of Neolithic/Bronze age. How can this be?
Those who know this area really well whisper that the confrontation probably occurred many millenia ago and what was seen in the 1500s was purely a “time slip” which happens occasionally. For another example of time slip, see my blog “Is every old house in this village haunted?” . Thus, what was observed in the sixteenth century actually was a vision from long lost history. Or it might be that Mother Shipton is a revenant who keeps returning to re-enact her historical role. Who knows what the truth is?
So, it’s probably best to judge for yourself because the stones are real enough, and even to this day the “King” and his men have occasionally been seen, usually close to midnight.
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