The circle consists of 38 stones of variable sizes and shapes; they are all un-hewn boulders, some standing over 5 feet in height. It has been estimated there were originally around 41 stones, so Castlerigg is relatively well preserved when compared with other circles in the British Isles.

The stone circle has been tenuously dated at 3200BC, although there is always a buffer zone of a couple of hundred years when trying to date stone circles without accompanying archaeology.