![\"Nine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SEI_310711409-a250.jpg\")
\n\t\tA gym group was seen exercising using rocks from the Nine Ladies Stone Circle (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tA gym group was seen exercising using rocks from the Nine Ladies Stone Circle (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
A gym group has caused outrage after using protected rocks as workout equipment.<\/p>\n
Over the Bank Holiday<\/a> weekend, the group exercised at Stanton Moor in the Derbyshire<\/a> Peak District, sparking calls to respect local heritage sites.<\/p>\n The individuals were seen using rocks next to the Nine Ladies Stone Circle as part of their outdoor activity, leading to historians and the Nine Ladies Action Group blasting them for being \u2018disrespectful\u2019.<\/p>\n Chairperson Aimee Blease-Bourne described the incident as \u2018crazy\u2019, questioning whether the group wanted to use the rocks for social media<\/a> props.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s a real lack of respect for a space which has been here for so long, and so many people love.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSign up for all of the latest stories\t\t\t<\/p>\n Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates<\/a> newsletter or get Breaking News<\/a> alerts the moment it happens. <\/p>\n \u2018The whole moorland area of Stanton Moor is an ancient scheduled monument and a sacred site \u2013 there are about 80 different Bronze Age megalithic sites up there,\u2019 she added.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018Visitors don\u2019t recognise the rest of the moor and how important it is to many people. It\u2019s a sacred, protected site.\u2019<\/p>\n Blease-Bourne hopes the action group can collaborate with police and the Peak District National Park to enforce protections in the future.<\/p>\n \u2018We need to start more conversations and raise awareness to help people understand the importance of the place.\u2019<\/p>\n Meanwhile, others have raised concerns about the environmental impact of the group\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n Popular walking blog The\u00a0Derbyshire\u00a0Wanderer, dedicated to exploring Derbyshire and the Peak District, said that moving a boulder from its \u2018resting spot\u2019 can cause \u2018direct, immediate, and long-term ecological damage\u2019.<\/p>\n The social media creator accused the group of showing \u2018pure disregard\u2019 for the environment and other Moor users, explaining that lifting a rock also \u2018instantly destroys a microhabitat that took years or decades to form\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018The space underneath an embedded rock creates a specialised microclimate \u2013 sheltered, dark, and humid.<\/p>\n \u2018Rare insects, spiders, mosses, lichens, and amphibians (like newts and toads) rely on this precise moisture balance to survive.\u2019<\/p>\n Furthermore, throwing the rocks can \u2018crush nesting birds and small mammals\u2019, plus hibernating reptiles using the scrub \u2018as cover from predators\u2019.<\/p>\n Ultimately, they said, removing the rocks \u2018exposes fragile soil underneath\u2019 to the elements, resulting in erosion and drying out.<\/p>\n Police have been informed of the \u2018potential damage\u2019 caused by the gym group, with a spokesperson for the Derbyshire force saying: \u2018Damage of a monument of this nature is a criminal offence and can lead to fines and, in the most serious cases, jail.<\/p>\n \u2018We would urge anyone with information to contact us on either 101 or via the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook<\/a> page.\u2019<\/p>\n The Nine Ladies Stone Circle consists of 10 coarse sandstone rocks, each 10.8m in diameter and built between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago.<\/p>\n As per tradition, they are believed to depict nine ladies turned to stone as a penalty for dancing on Sunday.<\/p>\n Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more stories like this, check our news page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow![\"9](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SEI_310711609-6726.jpg\")
\n\t\tAction groups blasted the workout group for \u2018disrespecting\u2019 the protected site (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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