Kings' Stones
The Kings' Stones are part of the Kings of Cumbria five-stone circuit. The Crown Stones placed on the banks of Grisedale Tarn make up the final two Stones, at 538m elevation. We recommend attempting the Kings' Stones prior to the walk-in to lift the Crown Stones.
Weights
Máel Coluim Stone - 60kg / 132lbs
Riderch Stone - 96kg / 212lbs
Dunmail Stone - 141kg / 311lbs
Location
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The Challenges
Stones to Chest.
Name Origin
Each Stone represents a previous King of Cumbria.
Stones Placement
Stones were gathered from the surrounding low fells and placed near Dunmail Raise by @conortoms_strongman and @dances_with_stones, overlooking the final resting place of the last King of Cumbria. With thanks to @sherlock_stones for assisting with the name origins of these Stones.
History
The Stones are placed in homage to the last Kings of Cumbria.
King Dunmail – The Last King of Cumbria
In 945 AD, legend says Dunmail’s Celtic kingdom faced the rising power of the Saxons and Scots. At a narrow pass between Grasmere and Thirlmere, he was defeated by the armies of King Edmund of England and King Malcolm of Scotland.
Dunmail fell in battle, and his followers buried him beneath a great cairn of stones, now known as Dunmail Raise. To keep his crown from enemy hands, they carried it into the fells and cast it into the dark waters of Grisedale Tarn.
Each year, the tale goes, his warriors’ spirits rise to retrieve the crown and strike it upon the cairn, hearing their king whisper, “Not yet, not yet; wait awhile, my warriors,” until the day he will return to reclaim his kingdom.
King Riderch – The Christian King of the North
In the late 6th century, Riderch Hael ruled the Brittonic kingdom of Cumbria from his stronghold at Alt Clut (Dumbarton Rock), a fortress rising sheer above the River Clyde.
Known as both a warrior and a just ruler, he defended his lands against rival northern kings and helped shape the early Christian identity of the region.
Legend tells that Riderch possessed a magical sword, Dyrnwyn, which burst into flame when drawn by a worthy hand, burning any unfit to wield it. Though many sought its power, Riderch refused to give it up, choosing honour over fear.
When he died around 613 AD, his passing marked the end of Cumbria’s early golden age. Yet in story and song he lives on as the generous king who held the old kingdom together, long before its final fall under Dunmail.
King Máel Coluim – The Last Warrior King
In the late 10th century, Máel Coluim, son of Dyfnwal, ruled the fading Brittonic kingdom of Cumbria as greater powers closed in from all sides. Norse raiders troubled the western seas, while the kingdoms of Scotland and England pressed ever closer to his borders.
A fierce and restless warrior, Máel Coluim led his men far from the hills of the north, riding south in a bold raid into England. But in 997 AD, his campaign ended in disaster near Romsey, where he was slain in battle.
His death weakened the old Cumbrian dynasty beyond repair. Within a generation, the kingdom would pass into legend, its final echoes carried in stories of kings like Dunmail, who would one day be remembered as the last.
