Nine Stones, Winterbourne Abbas
The circle in 2004
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 Shown within Dorset
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| Location | Winterbourne Abbas |
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| Coordinates | 50°42′44″N 2°33′10″W / 50.71217°N 2.55266°WCoordinates: 50°42′44″N 2°33′10″W / 50.71217°N 2.55266°W |
| Type | Stone circle |
| History | |
| Periods | Neolithic / Bronze Age |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | English Heritage |
The Nine Stones, also known as the Devil's Nine Stones, the Nine Ladies, or Lady Williams and her Dog, is a stone circle near the village of Winterbourne Abbas in the south-western English county of Dorset. Archaeologists believe that it was likely erected during the Bronze Age. The Nine Stones is part of a tradition of stone circle construction that spread through much of Britain, Ireland, and Brittany during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age between 3,300 and 900 BCE. The purpose of such monuments is unknown, although archaeologists speculate that they were likely religious sites, with the stones perhaps having supernatural associations for those who built the circles.
At least nine of these circles are known to have been constructed near modern Dorset. The circles in this region are smaller than those found elsewhere in Britain and are typically built from sarsen stone. The Nine Stones circle has a diameter of 9.1 metres by 7.8 metres (29 feet 10 inches by 25 feet 11 inches) and consists of nine irregularly spaced sarsen megaliths. Two of the stones on the north-western side of the monument are considerably larger than the others. This architectural feature has parallels with various stone circles in south-western Scotland, and was potentially a deliberate choice of the circle's builders, to whom it may have had symbolic meaning.
Antiquarians like John Aubrey and William Stukeley first took an interest in the site during the 18th century. It later received archaeological attention, although it has not been excavated. Local folklore has grown up around the circle, associating it with the Devil and with children petrified into rock. The Nine Stones are regarded as a sacred site by local Druids, who perform religious ceremonies there. The circle is adjacent to the A35 road and encircled by trees. The site is owned by English Heritage and is open without charge to visitors.
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