A "very popular" man found dead at a Bronze Age stone circle in the Peak District during a summer solstice event has been named locally as Isaac Clare-Watts, a qualified joiner from Arnold, Nottinghamshire. His body was discovered at the Nine Ladies Stone Circle in Stanton Lees, Derbyshire, on Monday June 24, 2026. Emergency services were called just before 1:40pm after reports that a man's body had been found.
Arrest and Investigation
A 41-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. Detective Inspector Tony Owen from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), leading the investigation, described the killing as "the most brutal way" and urged anyone who attended the summer solstice event between June 19 and 23 to come forward.
Tributes from Employer
Mr Clare-Watts had worked for Nottingham building firm Frank Goulding Ltd, which described him as a "very popular member" of its team. The company said: "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. Isaac 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."
Police Appeal
Detective Inspector Owen stated: "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. You may have only been there briefly and think you can’t help, but you could hold the key piece of information we need to understand what has happened and help us to get justice for this young man’s family. 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. I also really urge anyone who captured video footage from the event over the weekend to please come forward. You could play a key role in helping us with this murder investigation."
A major incident portal has been set up at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM25A84-PO1 or information can be given to police via 101 quoting reference 26*364216.
