Matthew Shaw (Member no. 00)

Holton Lee

Building a Stone Circle

The idea was first hatched on the Winter Solstice of 2011ce and the circle was built in the week leading up to the Summer Solstice 2012. It was finished on the Solstice eve, it's first day of completion being the solstice itself.

In 2012 I suggested the idea of creating a new Stone Circle in the Dorset countryside to my friend Simon Constantine. At the previous Winter Solstice I had taken Simon to Stonehenge for the first time. We arrived just in time to see the sun rise as we walked the ancient avenue as we approached the stones.

The next few months we visited various sites around Dorset, and then as Simon developed ideas, sketches and perfumes based on these sites I thought let’s build our own circle! This idea was initially met with concerns for my sanity. Within a few days though the phone rang and Simon asked me if I thought it was actually possible. It turned out it was, with local Sone experts Suttles, archaeologist Julian Richards and the brilliant Paul Devereaux as our builders, guides and supporters.

Here are some of my Fieldnotes from the build in 2012. Followed by photographs I took of the site before, during and after the Stone Circle exited.

“Over the last couple of months I had a dream come true of a project to work on; to arrange, plan and build a stone circle in Dorset. The reason for this was for a new set of perfumes by Simon Constantine for Gorilla perfumes. Simon created six new scents, collectively called set in stone. The plan was to build a stone circle in an area of Dorset that contained many of the raw materials used in the formulation of the perfumes as possible, and that each stone would represent one of the perfumes. Then at the launch there would be live music, again one separate track for each perfume as well as talks from Simon as well as the very brilliant Paul Devereux. The site was marked out by myself and Steve Brackstone, who was born and bred in Poole. The stones were supplied and the circle built by Suttles, a local Purbeck stone company. Advice of the shape of the circle and its positioning and the choosing of the stones was also contributed by the archeologist Julian Richards. The opening of the circle was an event with a talk by Simon, live music composed by Simon Richmond and performed live by John Metcalf and a a talk from Paul Devereaux who was informative, speculative, charming and knowledgeable, taking everyone present of a brief journey through some of the theories he has been instrumental in developing over the years. The circle is now a permanent feature of this landscape for future generations to use and enjoy.”