Forty stones in a slightly flattened ring, on a hilltop pasture two miles east of Keswick, ringed by some of the most dramatic mountains in England. Skiddaw and Blencathra stand to the north, Helvellyn to the south-east, the High Seat ridge to the south-west. The setting is the reason Castlerigg consistently turns up on lists of Britain's most spectacular ancient sites.
The circle is free, open at all hours, and managed by English Heritage. Aim for sunrise or late afternoon when the low light catches the stones; midday in summer brings coachloads. A footpath from town takes about an hour each way; most people drive and use the small lay-by car park on the lane below the site.