Mitchell’s Fold is a Bronze Age stone circle that sits on high moorland 330m (1083 ft) above sea level at the south-west end of Stapely Hill.
It is thought that there were originally 30 stone pillars although now only 15 remain and these range in size from 0.25 m to 1.91 m. Although it is called a stone circle, the stones are in fact arranged in an ellipse 27 m NW-SE by 25 m.
The true history of Mitchell’s Fold – sometimes also called Medgel’s Fold or Madges Pinfold – is unknown, although the name of the circle may derive from ‘micel’ or ‘mycel’, Old English for ‘big’, referring to the size of this large circle.
Whether by design or coincidence the tallest of the remaining stones lies at the south-east end of the major axis close to the line of the southern moonrise.
The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (number 107448) in the guardianship of English Heritage.
There is an interesting legend concerning Mitchell’s Fold described in this BBC Archive article – although the truth is that the stones were placed on Stapely Hill by Bronze Age man about 4,000 years ago.
You can drive the 16 miles to Mitchell’s Fold in about 30 minutes and both entry and on-site parking are free. It is well worth the visit to experience the scale of these stone circles and enjoy the panoramic views.
Here at Folly View we want you to enjoy all that Shropshire can offer and so we’ve chosen to decorate the walls of Folly View with maps and pictures that highlight local attractions – including the dramatic photograph of Mitchell’s Fold shown above.
