A man was found dead at a Bronze Age stone circle after a summer solstice rave, with police describing his killing as “the most brutal way” and his family appealing for anyone who attended the event to come forward.
Isaac Clare-Watts’s sister, Jonimae, urged those who partied at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle on Stanton Moor over the weekend to contact the authorities, saying: “We will get justice for you, Isaac. You didn’t deserve any of this.” In a tribute, she added: “It breaks our hearts to let you all know that Isaac, son and brother, was found dead on Monday morning. We all know he was ‘Isaac the Wonder Boy’ and that this will upset many. Contact is welcome but please understand we have no words or answers.”
Suspected murder and arrest
A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. Officers from Derbyshire Constabulary discovered Mr Clare-Watts’s body at approximately 1:38 pm on Monday, June 22, 2026, at the stone circle in Stanton Lees, Derbyshire. Hundreds of people had gathered at the site over the weekend to listen to loud music and dance into the early hours as part of summer solstice celebrations.
The victim: Isaac Clare-Watts
Mr Clare-Watts, 26, of Nottingham, had recently returned to the UK after travelling the world and was planning to resume his travels. He was a qualified joiner who had worked for Frank Goulding Ltd, a Nottingham-based building firm, since 2016 after completing his apprenticeship. The company said in a statement: “Isaac joined us as a young man in 2016 to pursue a career in construction. He successfully completed his joinery apprenticeship and developed into a very skilled joiner. He was a very popular member of our team and decided last year he wanted to take some time and go and see the world, in particular spending some time in Thailand to develop his Muay Thai skills, which was a passion of his. We are all very saddened to hear the tragic news and our prayers and sympathy go to his family.”
The location: Nine Ladies Stone Circle
The Nine Ladies Stone Circle is an early Bronze Age monument on Stanton Moor in the Peak District, dating back approximately 4,000 years. It consists of ten millstone grit stones arranged in a circle with a diameter of roughly 10.8 to 11.5 metres. A separate stone, known as the King Stone, stands to the southwest. According to folklore, the stones represent nine ladies who were turned to stone as a penalty for dancing on a Sunday, with the King Stone said to be the fiddler. The site is considered sacred by modern Pagan groups, who conduct rituals including weddings and seasonal celebrations there. It is owned and maintained by English Heritage and protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stanton Moor itself contains over seventy burial barrows and other stone circles, and the Nine Ladies site was excavated in 2000.
Police investigation and urgent appeal
Detective Inspector Tony Owen, who is leading the murder investigation, appealed directly to anyone who attended the solstice event to come forward. He said: “I am urgently appealing for anyone who attended the summer solstice event over the weekend to please speak to officers as soon as they can. A young man’s life has been taken in the most brutal way, so it is vital that myself and the team build up a clear picture of the exact circumstances surrounding his death. This is why we urgently need to speak to everyone who was at the scene over the weekend. So I would ask, please, that if you attended the event, you contact us urgently so we can build up a picture of the event itself and what has led to this man’s death.”
Derbyshire Police have said they are keen to hear from anyone who was at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle between Friday, June 19, and Tuesday, June 23, and especially those who have video footage from the summer solstice or dashcam footage of vehicles arriving and leaving the area over the weekend. The force has set up a Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) for the public to submit information directly. Information can also be provided via the Derbyshire Constabulary website or Facebook, or by calling 101 and quoting reference 26*364216. Anonymous tips can be given to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Local residents have described how the gatherings at the site have evolved in recent years from peaceful celebrations into large parties and raves, with concerns raised about drug use and litter. The area of Stanton Moor is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument because of its archaeological significance. Other summer solstice events in Derbyshire in 2026 included a silent disco at Chatsworth and a festival in Chesterfield, but the police investigation is focused solely on the Nine Ladies Stone Circle gathering.
