Two neolithic stone circles have been discovered on Dartmoor, adding credibility to the theory that a “sacred arc” of monuments was built in the heart of the wild Devon uplands.

One of the circles appears to have similar features to Stonehenge, while the second sits slightly outside the sweep of the arc and could have served as a gateway used by pilgrims travelling to the area.

The discovery of the two rings is a result of a lifetime of work by Alan Endacott, a Devon archaeologist and stained glass artist who in 2007 unearthed the presence of the highest stone circle in southern England, Sittaford on Dartmoor

It was the first stone circle to be discovered on the moor for more than a century and reinforced the sacred arc theory. Rather than resting on his laurels, Endacott has kept on searching for more circles and been rewarded with two further finds.

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Endacott believes a sacred arc was intended to ring the high ground in the centre of the moor. “Dartmoor would have been very different then, there would have been a lot more forest cover. So possibly they were markers in the landscape, they recognised the higher ground and wanted to kind of enclose it for some reason.”