A. D. PASSMORE AND THE STONE CIRCLES OF NORTH WILTSHIRE 201 
(Note. This is followed by descriptions of the 
Day House circles in Coate hamlet between the 
escarpment of the downs and the isolated Swindon 
hill. The village lies by a little stream 2.5 miles 
south-east of Swindon town centre. The wreckage 
of Day House Lane NE ring can still be seen. It was 
first noticed by Richard Jefferies who was born at 
Coate Farm in 1848. A quarter of a century after 
Jefferies, Passmore described the circle and its 
partner in considerable detail). 
Day House Farm NW and SE. 
[p.20] ‘Discovery of stone circles at Coate’, by A. D. 
Passmore. These circles which are situated at Day 
House Farm about 4 of a mile from the village of 
Coate are of sarsen stone and not one [is] now 
standing all having tumbled down and [scarcely 
noticeable to any but] gradually worked their way 
underground until only the tops are visible. at first 
they appear very small but on closer investigation I 
found them to range in size from 6 ft to 12 ft (1.8m, 
3.7m) long and about the same width. I first noticed 
these stones in last January (1893) and since then I 
have made many fresh discoveries namely another 
circle to the S.W. of the Day House circle [see Day 
House SW][and also] the [p.2la] remains of a [a 
not] double circle and/at the end of the reservoir 
about 2 a mile [distant] west [see Coate Reservoir] 
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Fig. 4 Plan. Day House Lane circle NE. Passmore, 
WANHM 27, 1894, 171. 
and a line of three stones [pointing straight] almost 
Y4 mile of 2nd circle. These stone(s) point straight at 
Hodson about 1 % away and on going to [?] place 
where I expected them to my surprise and 
gratification I found the remains of another circle 
and on going to the other side of it I [found] saw a 
line of stones going away from it and this time 
pointing straight to Coate. Owing to want of time I 
must leave Hodson circle till the next number of the 
magazine [where I hope to have] (see Hodson 
circle). 
Notebook 1 [p.8] About 6 months ago whilst 
walking home from Chiseldon to Swindon through 
Day House Farm I was struck by the remarkable 
position of certain [stones] sarsen stones which 
were lying in the field in front of the farm. [I 
continued my walk ] [mentally resolving to again 
visit] [this circle]. 
[About two months after made] [I thoroughly 
examined it and] of which I give a scale plan 32 feet 
to the sq inch the stones [a] in the circle are 9 in 
number and in [the] line leading up it there are 
[p.9] 5 stones. (Sixty years later Alexander Thom 
planned the stones more accurately but when 
redrawing his field-notes misplaced north at the 
east. Figs. 4,5). The circle or rather oval appears to 
have originally consisted of 30 stones which was the 
number of days in the lunar month and a favourite 
cycle with the Druids; the diameters are 220 ft from 
to and 170 ft (67m, 51.8m) from to . The stones are 
themselves are of small size ranging from 5 ft long 
to 10 ft long (1.5m, 3.1m). None of them now 
remain upright. One part of the oval is 
unfortunately encroached upon by a rick yd and 
cow sheds and I hope to find another stone when 
Ss/d 
N DAYHOUSE LANE sm Swoon 
Su 182824 
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Fig. 5 Plan. Day House Lane circle NE. Thom, Thom & 
Burl, 1980, 134, S5/6. 
