The Devil's Den facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Devil's Den |
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| Location | Fyfield, Wiltshire |
| Architectural style(s) | British pre-Roman Architecture |
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The Devil's Den is an ancient stone structure in Wiltshire, England. It is a type of dolmen, which means it's a prehistoric tomb made of large stones. This special place is found on Fyfield Hill, close to the town of Marlborough.
What is The Devil's Den?
The Devil's Den is a very old burial chamber. It was built a long, long time ago by people from the Neolithic period. This period is also known as the New Stone Age. The chamber was part of a larger ancient tomb. This tomb was called a passage grave. It was located on Fyfield Down.
The Stones of the Den
Today, only a few stones remain of the original structure. You can see two large stones standing upright. There is also a huge flat stone resting on top of them. This top stone is called a capstone. Two other stones have fallen over. These stones were once the entrance to a very long mound. In the 1920s, this mound was described as being about 230 feet long.
The capstone is incredibly heavy. Experts believe it weighs around 17 tons. That's like the weight of several cars! The burial chamber was put back together in 1921. This helped to preserve it for people to see today.
How It Got Its Name
Many ancient sites in England were given names linked to the devil. This happened after Christianity became common. People didn't always understand the old beliefs. So, they sometimes connected these mysterious places to stories about the devil.
There's a fun local story about The Devil's Den. It says that if you pour water into the hollows on the capstone, a demon will come during the night and drink it. It's just a legend, but it adds to the mystery of the place!
