Sunset Stone, Silsden, West Yorkshire

Cup-and-Ring Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 06745 45368 

Getting Here

Sunset Stone cupmarks

Along the B6265 old road between Keighley and Bingley, at Riddlesden go up Granby Lane, bending left into Banks Lane.  About a mile up you’ll reach the moorland road.  Turn left at the junction and nearly half-a-mile along there’s a layby on y’ right.  From here walk along the footpath on the edge of the ridge, half-mile along bending slightly above Rough Holden Farm until, a coupla hundred yards on, you hit the dirt-track.  There’s a long straight stretch of walling on your left: follow this for a few hundred yards, go through the gate and here walk on the other (left) side of the wall (if you’ve reach a derelict farm, you’ve gone too far).  Some 60 yards or so down here, keep your eyes peeled on the long earthfast stone right near the walling.  An alternative is to start at the steep hairpin bend up Holden Lane and follow the footpath into the woods. Walk along here (parallel with the stream below) for about 600 yards until you hit the bridge crossing the stream. Don’t cross over: instead double-back up the field on your right, go diagonally across and through the gate into the next field, and walk up along the walling to your right.  160 yards up, go through the gate and walk about 30 yards along the side of the walling again.  Tis there!

Archaeology & History

Unveiling the Sunset Stone

This is a fascinating carved stone on the western edge of Rombald’s Moor that I was fortunate to find in 2008.  It’s found in association with two other cup-marked stones, north and south of it.  I first noticed it when I was walking along the footpath by the side of the wall and saw that on a small exposed part of the rock a single cup-marking carved close to the vertical edge of the stone—and I’m glad that I stopped to give it more attention.  The stone was very deeply embedded and the covering soil so tightly packed that I could only shift a small part of it—but the section that I  managed to uncover and, importantly, the time of day when I did this, brought about an intriguing visage with subtle mythic overtones.

Carved arc on edge
Early photo in low light

The carving was found near the end of the day just as the sun was setting and touching the far horizon.  I noticed there was a cup-and-half-ring to the side of where I’d sat for a rest, near the northern edge of the stone, and the clear but soft light of the evening caught this element and almost brought it to life!  As I gazed down at the half-ring, the sun highlighted it even more and I saw that some extended carved lines continued and dropped over the near vertical edge of the stone, becoming an unbroken elongated ‘ring’ that stretched twice the length of the half-ring on the flat surface.  Not only that, but a faint cup-mark seemed to be inside this extended vertical ring and, as I saw this, a dreaming epiphany hit me that the symbolism behind this was a representation of  the setting sun that I was watching at that very moment.  It was quite beautiful and the carving seemed to come to life.  The thought, nay feeling, that this part of the carving symbolized a setting sun not only slotted easily into a common animistic ingredient, but hit me as common sense too!  However, as my ego and rational sense rose back to the fore (I had to get mi shit together and walk a few miles home before night fell), I saw that this impression may be a completely spurious one; but, as the rock-face inclines west, towards the setting sun, the name of Sunset Stone stuck.  As I carefully fondled beneath the heavy overgrowth of vegetation covering the stone, I realised that I needed to come here again and uncover more of it, as additional cups and lines seemed to be reaching out from the mass of soil.

Cups near the S edge
Close-up of ring-edge

I returned to the stone a few times, but it was several years that I revisited the site with the intention of uncovering more of the design in the company of Richard Hirst and Paul Hornby on August 4, 2013—and it took considerable effort to roll back the turf that covered the stone.  But it was worth it!  For it soon became obvious that much of the stone that was covered over had been unexposed for many centuries: as Richard pointed out, the edge of the rock was very smoothed by weathering, whilst the covered section of the stone that we were revealing was still quite rough and misshapen all across the surface, lacking weather and water erosion.  Much of this design therefore, highlighted itself to us as it was when the mason first carved the stone.  And it turned out to be a pretty curious design!

Faded photo of the Sunset Stone
Faded photo of the carving
Faint proto-ring nr centre

Our first impression was that the design comprised of two cup-and-rings near the middle of the rock, with another cup-and-drooping-ring near the northern edge of the stone, and between ten and twelve typical cup-markings, many on the western exposed side.  But curiously near the middle were also a couple of rings whose edges had been defined, but the hollowed-out ‘cup’ in the middle remained uncut or unfinished, being a proto-ring, so to speak.  Also, lines leading from these unfinished ‘cups’ were also pecked and laid out, but they were also unfinished.  Some sections of the unfinished lines ran onto the western edge of the stone and were very faint, but they were undeniably there.  Unfinished cups is an unusual feature for carvings on Rombald’s Moor.

Mr Hirst’s clearance
Cups & curves on edge

But the most interesting element in the fainter, seemingly unfinished carved lines, was what may be a small spiral that started above the two faint cup-and-rings.  This then continued in a sharp arc which doubled-back on itself.  In the other direction, the lines curve round and go down to the vertical face of the rock, before bending back up onto the level surface again, then disappearing.  The topmost cup-and-half-ring is also a curious feature.  When you visit here you’ll see how this aspect of the design looks for all the world like a simply cup-and-half-ring near the edge of the stone.  But, as I’ve already mentioned, closer examination shows that this “half-ring” has a larger oval body beneath it on the vertical face of the stone, very worn due to its exposure to the elements and very much in the shape of a bell—and within this large cup-and-ring ‘bell’ is a much fainter complete cup-and-ring, just below the topmost cup-marking.  I know that I’ve already mentioned this, but I’m giving it added emphasis as it’s a unique design element for carvings on these moors.

Early photo of the carving
Edge of the carving

The Sunset Stone really requires more attention, when the daylight conditions are just right, so that all of these intriguing aspects can be highlighted with greater lucidity.  There is also the potential that more carved ingredients remains hidden beneath the compacted soil.

What seems to be a more trivial single cup-marked stone can be seen roughly 20 yards to the north.

Acknowledgements:  Massive thanks to Richard Hirst of Hebden Bridge, and Prof. Paul Hornby, for their help in bringing this carving to light.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Reva Hill (8), Hawksworth, West Yorkshire

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 152 434

Getting Here

Naathen… I’d give you the directions of how to find this stone, but I’m not sure of its precise location.  Just get to the top of Reva Hill, on its more westerly side, and it’s somewhere on its upper slopes.  I was up here again recently and hoped to find it, but the grasses might have grown back over it.  If one of you petroglyph fans manages to locate it, please can you send me its exact grid-reference, so I can update the site profile.

Archaeology & History

This was one in a cluster of carvings that were rediscovered in 2011 and which I’ve not managed to re-locate (bad boy).  It’s very plain and simple, as you can see.  Indeed, I was lucky to even notice it, as the central photograph above shows how faint and eroded the cup-marks are in normal light.  Thankfully with a bit of water, what I initially thought may have been two cup-marks, turned into three or four of them.  So the next time you’re having a look at the Fraggle Rock carving and its companions, remember that this little fella is hiding somewhere close by…

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian

Green Crag Slack (356a), Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 13665 46014

Getting Here

Carving 356a, Green Crag

From Cow & Calf Rocks, walk up the steep footpath and turn left (southeast) when it levels out on the edge of the moor.  Walk 250 yards along and, where the main path veers down to the road, just keep walking along in the same direction along the footpath that runs gradually uphill until, after 650 yards (595m) you’ll eventually meet up with the footpath that runs along the moorland proper.  Where these two paths meet-up, then head upwards (south) into the heather for 55 yards (50m) until you see a good-size sloping block of stone with a crack roughly down the middle.  If you hit the Little Haystack Rock (a big conspicuous stone) you’ve gon too far!

Archaeology & History

Shallow cupmarks visible

This is one of the many basic cup-marked stones you’ll find scattered all over these moors possessing (as it does) only two distinct cup-marks on its more northern half, although a possible faint third one needs looking at in better light.  When we were kids exploring this and other areas, single and double cup-marked stones like this seemed ten-a-penny and we’d flippantly pass them by after quick perusal, looking for more impressive designs.

The carving here seems to have been missed in the surveys of Hedges (1986) and Boughey & Vickerman (2003), despite the rock standing out quite distinctly.  I can only assume that they checked it out when the skies were grey and dull, making the cup-marks difficult to see.  A number of other prehistoric remains can be found close to this carving, including cairns and sections of enclosure walling.

Folklore

Tradition tells that the indigenous Britons had a battle with the Romans on the plain where this carving is found.

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian

Eaves Crag, Baildon Moor, West Yorkshire

Cup-and-Ring Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 15073 40440

Also Known as:

  1. Carving no.50 (Hedges)
  2. Carving no.194 (Boughey & Vickerman)

Getting Here

Eaves Crag carving

Take the road up through Baildon village, across at the roundabout up Northgate and up onto the moor, then after a few hundred yards turn left on the Bingley Road.  About five hundred yards along, keep your eyes peeled for where the ruined reservoirs are to the left-side of the road.  Straight across the road from here (north) you’ll see the small cliffs of Eaves Crag.  Walk along the footpath that runs above the cliffs and, about 80 yards past them, keep your eyes peeled on the ground right in the middle of the path.  You can’t really miss it!

Archaeology & History

Basic cup-and half-ring

First mentioned in passing in the magnum opus of W. Paley Baildon (1913) and subsequently in one of Sidney Jackson’s (1955) series of profiles on the Baildon Moor carvings, this all but insignificant carving comprises of a simple cup-and-half-ring and another singular cup-mark a little further along the stone.  John Hedges (1986) described this carving as being a “well marked cup surrounded by horseshoe groove – also well marked.  Possible small cup and incomplete ring.”  Whilst the minimalists Boughey & Vickerman (2003) told it to be simply, “two cups, one with incomplete ring.”  A peculiarity with this design is that it might have been cut by a metal implement, perhaps in the Bronze Age, perhaps even in the Iron Age.  We might never know…

References:

  1. Baildon, W. Paley, Baildon and the Baildons – volume 1, St. Catherines: Adelphi 1913.
  2. Boughey, Keith & Vickerman, E.A., Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding, WYAS: Wakefield 2003.
  3. Hedges, John (ed.), The Carved Rocks of Rombald’s Moor, WYMCC: Wakefield 1986.
  4. Jackson, Sidney, ‘Cup and Ring Boulders of Baildon Moor,’ in Bradford’s Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, 1:10, 1955.

Acknowledgements:  Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian

Acrehowe Well, Baildon Moor, West Yorkshire

Healing Well:  OS Grid Reference – SE 14733 40596

Also Known as:

  1. Acre Well

Archaeology & History

Up there, in the rushes…

First illustrated on the 1852 Ordnance Survey map of the area and now only visible as a small marshy area, this once fast-flowing well gained its name from the old stone cross (very probably a standing stone before that) four hundred feet west of here, called Acrehowe Cross, now gone.  It is possible that this ‘cross’ gave the well a local reputation as a holy well.  A solitary path once led to the well, whose waters rise up through a coal seam giving the place its medicinal qualities, which have sadly been forgotten. Up and down this path towards Baildon village one would have regularly met a local character in the 19th century known as “Dinnis” (his real name was Joseph Halliday) who, along with his partner would take ‘kits’ (a large bucket with parallel sides) of water from the well into the village and sell it for a halfpenny each.

Site shown on 1852 map

Later in the 19th century, a cottage was built here (known as Acre Cottage) and gained its water supply from the well.  This was curtailed with the construction of the Baildon Moor reservoirs by the roadside, which took the water from both here and the nearby Spink Well (over the hill on the far side of the golf course), leaving us with little more than the trickling water we see today, just a little further down from its original location.

References:

  1. la Page, John, The Story of Baildon, William Byles: Bradford 1951.

Acknowledgements:  Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian

Reva Hill, Hawksworth, West Yorkshire

Cross:  OS Grid Reference – SE 15297 42972

Also Known as:

  1. Plague Stone
  2. Riva Cross
  3. Stone Cross

Getting Here

Reva Hill cross in walling

Two main routes to get here: i) from Dick Hudson’s public house, head left (east) along Otley Road (passing Weecher reservoir) for 1.9 miles (3.1km) until you reach Reva reservoir where a track leads you to the waters, and there’s a small parking spot on the left-side of the road. Stop here. (ii) coming from Hawkworth and Guiseley, head west along Hawksworth Lane which runs into Goose Lane and, at the T-junction at the end, turn right and nearly 500 yards along on the left-side of the road is the same small parking spot. From here, walk uphill for nearly 150 yards and then look at the walling to your left.

Archaeology & History

Reva Cross on 1851 map

This relic can be found on the far eastern edges of Hawksworth Moor, near Guiseley, and was said by the historian Eric Cowling to have originally stood upon a large rock nearby.  It has an odd history. Initially, the cross was an ancient boundary or mark stone, referred to in a 15th Century document and outlined by William Preston in 1911, that marked the limit of the southern township of Burley township.  Local historian C.J.F. Atkinson asserted that this cross in fact came from Otley, although his ideas were considered somewhat “fanciful” by archaeologists and other historians.

Its present position by the roadside is relatively new as it stood, not too long ago, a short distance away in the field to the rear, as highlighted on the early OS-map of this area.  E.C. Waight of the archaeology division to Ordnance Survey wrote:

“Situated at SE 1530 4297 on the western side of the gate from the road into the field containing the remains of Reva Cross is a cross base (apparently in situ) serving as a bolster stone to the wall head at the gate opening.”

He described the dimensions of the base and the remainder of the cross, both of which “are contemporary with one and other,” he told.  In the 1960s, the local council moved the cross to its present position.

Tradition told that despite its religious symbolism, it was also used as a market cross in bygone times. A certain Mrs Fletcher (1960), writing to the Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group, narrated that,

“Mrs Turner Greenwood….tells me that her mother, who, if living, would be in her nineties, lived at Gaping Goose Farm on the western side of Reva Hill… Mrs Greenwood’s father.. .remembered the cross erected on this hill, and related seeing the roads black with people climbing to it from Otley and Bingley, for the market held there.”

Despite this, Sidney Jackson was somewhat sceptical of it being the site of a market.  Weather conditions and the bleakness of the spot would have made this site somewhat intolerable, he thought.  However, people in previous centuries were much hardier than modern people and so it’s not as unlikely as you’d initially think.

Close-up of cross

Sid Jackson’s sketch

A much more interesting tradition of the cross was its use in times gone by as a Plague Stone. However, this name only applied to the cross-base at the time as no cross was stood upon it; merely a natural rock laid upon the moorside with a basin cut into it. It gained this name around the time of the great plague of 1660.  During the plague, food was left on this table-like rock and money in return was placed in a basin full of vinegar.  This tradition may have originated at the large natural rock bowl on one of the earthfast stones near the very top of Reva Hill a short distance to the west (also a number of cup-marked stones are close by and folklore records show that some cup-marks had healing properties).  One account tells that it was Sir Walter Hawksworth (of the legendary Grand Lodge of ALL England masonic lodge) who was responsible for the siting of the cross as a Plague Stone.

References:

  1. Cowling, Eric T., Rombald’s Way, William Walker: Otley 1946.
  2. Cowling, Eric T., ‘Letter,’ in Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, 5:5, May 1960.
  3. Fletcher, Elsie, “Letter,” in Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, 5:5, May 1960.
  4. Jackson, Sidney, “Ancient Crosses,” in Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, 1:12, 1955.
  5. Jackson, Sidney, “Cross on Reva Hill,” in Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, 5:1, p.2, 1960.
  6. Jackson, Sidney, “Reva Hill Cross Base Found,” in Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, 9:9, September 1964.
  7. Jackson, Sidney, “Fresh Site for Reva Cross,” in Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, 11:7, July 1966.
  8. Preston, William Easterbrook, “On an Ancient Stone Cross on Riva Hill,” in Bradford Antiquary, New Series 3, 1911.

Acknowledgements:  Huge thanks for use of the Ordnance Survey map in this site profile, reproduced with the kind permission of the National Library of Scotland

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian

Nut Head Wood, Steeton, West Yorkshire

Cup-and-Ring Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 03308 43184

Getting Here

Nut Head Wood carving

From Steeton village, go up Mill Lane, turning right and then bending up the steep Barrows Lane for a half-mile or so, where in turns into Redcar Lane.  There’s a row of old cottages on your left with a green lane track running into the fields at the back of them. Four fields along you’ll reach a long straight line of walling running uphill.  Up here, above and past the long geological stretch of quarried rocks, the land levels out and two trees sit next to each other by walling.  The carving’s beneath them.

Archaeology & History

Close-up of carving

Rediscovered in the summer of 2024 by Thomas Cleland, a deeply worn cup-mark is the primary feature of this petroglyph on the topmost section of the stone, with the remains of a faint incomplete ring around one side of it. Three or four other smaller cup-marks can be seen close to the main one.  There may be another cup-marked stone on an adjacent rock, with a lines running away from it, but we need to see that in better light or have one of the computer-tech doods to give it their attention to know for sure.

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian

Lane End, Baildon, Shipley, West Yorkshire

Cup-Marked Stone (destroyed):  OS Grid Reference – SE 152 393

Also Known as:

  1. Carving no.195

Archaeology & History

A basic cup-marked stone could once be seen up near the top of the slope behind the Bay Horse pub as you’re heading up to Baildon village.  The site would seem to have been destroyed following the demolition of buildings thereby.  A photograph of the carving was taken and it was described, albeit briefly, by Sidney Jackson (1961), who told:

“A small boulder with two cups in it was found at the junction of a narrow bye road leading to 30 Lane Ends, Baildon, with the road which runs behind the Bay Horse Inn, on 12 April (1961), by Mr Alan E. Rowe, 10 Beaufort Grove, Bolton, Bradford  and a photograph of it was taken for the Museum Reference Collection.”

Years back I contacted the Bradford Museum about this photo and they were about as helpful as a zionist in Palestine! – i.e., I never got to see it.  It would be good if someone could locate the image.

References:

  1. Boughey, Keith & Vickerman, E.A., Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding, WYAS: Wakefield 2003.
  2. Jackson, Sidney, “Cup-marked Boulders, Baildon Finds,” in Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, volume 6, no. 6, 1961.

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian

Snowden Carr (570a), Timble, North Yorkshire

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 1777 5128

Getting Here

The stone in question

From the Askwith Moor car-park (SE 1757 5067), walk along the road north for a few hundred yards until you reach the gate on your right and head through the heather to the Death’s Head carving.  From here walk in a northwesterly direction up the gentle slope for 50-60 yards and, before reaching its crown, keep your eyes peeled for a low flat stone with a curvaceous crack running roughly halfway across it.  If the heather’s deep, you might not have a cat in hell’s chance of finding it!

Archaeology & History

This carving isn’t much to look at on two levels: i) it’s a pretty simplistic design with no rings, and (ii) it’s very faint and almost impossible to see until the light is just right—except for one of the cups, which itself might be natural (there are a few like that amidst the Askwith complex).  It’s very much a carving for the purists among you, as I always say.  Nonetheless, for the record:

Crap sketch of design

Faint cups visible

The most notable element is the single “cup mark” on the more easterly section of the stone, on one side of the natural crack.  It catches your eye and is what makes you give the stone a little more attention, although I couldn’t make up my mind whether this was Nature’s handiwork or humans.  It may be a bit of both.  On the other side the crack we can see a small group of very faint eroded cup-marks — just!  What seems to be three of them cluster in a small triangle formation, but one of these may be natural (tis hard to say for sure), with another isolated cup closer to the crack, and a final one further to the outer edge of the stone.  All are very faint but stood out when the sun was low on our recent visit here.  Give it your attention when you’re next having a look at the settlement and cairnfield close by.

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian

Giant’s Chair, Addingham High Moor, West Yorkshire

Cup-and-Ring Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 07450 46658

Also Known as:

  1. Carving no.230 (Hedges)
  2. Carving no.56 (Boughey & Vickerman)

Getting Here

Giants Chair, Gawk Stones

The easiest way to get reach here is via the Doubler Stones, which is usually approached either from the long and winding country lanes Silsden-side (you can’t drive all the way and there are hardly any parking spots en route), or from a long walk over the moors.  Taking the latter route, probably the easiest is by starting at Whetstone Gate right on the moortop, on the Ilkley-Keighley road.  From here, walk west along the footpath by the wallside for more than ½-mile until you reach the West Buckstones.  From here, take the footpath NW (not SW) alongside the walling for literally one mile, where a notable angular skewing of three walls appears: keep to the left and walk alongside that wall for another ⅓-mile (0.5km) then climb over the wall and head straight for the small TV mast.  The Giant’s Chair’s just below it.

Archaeology & History

Back of Giant’s Chair, with Doubler Stones behind

Some time in the mid- to late-1970s, on one of our early ventures to see the legendary Doubler Stones, this great rock outcrop of the Giant’s Chair also, understandably, drew our attention.  And, as young fertile teenage lads, we all but flew up onto the top of this great rocky rise with relative ease.  Now, nearly fifty years later, I’m unable to climb onto its top without ropes. (sigh….)  It’s not easy.  Anyhow, when we were on top of this rock as kids, a number of notable cup-markings stood out to us—in no distinct order, as I recall.  But on the day of our clambering visit, She was grey and overcast; as She was on the two or three other visits we made to the stone, sitting on its top, fondling the cup-marks and eating our sarnies.  All that I ever noticed were the cup-markings.

A few years after my early visits here, John Hedges (1986) wrote about this “very large high rock.” He mentioneed the cup-markings, obviously, but he also mentioned some things that we’d missed, saying that here are,

“Six large shallow worn cups, one with (a) partial ring and another with possible ring.  One cup on SW end.”

Single cup-mark (?)

One of the cup-and-rings (?), top-left

Sadly, I’ve never seen these rings and, these days, my ageing bones might not allow me back onto its surface to see them. (the expression, “sad bastard” comes to mind!)  On a recent visit here with Sarah Walker of Silsden, neither of us could get our useless arses on top! (the photos taken here were done with me stood on top of an adjacent rock, hands held high, trying to get at least some elements of the carving—with a minor bit of success, I think) I take comfort in the fact that when Boughey & Vickerman (2003) subsequently added this carving in their enlarged inventory, that they never got to see them either, as they gave it the completely wrong grid-reference!  And so, due to the ineptitude of us old folk, I await some younger and more competent explorers who can climb up on top and send us some good photos of the design, when weather and lighting conditions allow for good imagery.  Are there any takers…?

References:

  1. Boughey, Keith & Vickerman, E.A., Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding, WYAS: Wakefield 2003.
  2. Deacon, Vivien, The Rock Art Landscapes of Rombalds Moor, West Yorkshire, ArchaeoPress: Oxford 2020.
  3. Hedges, John (ed.), The Carved Rocks on Rombalds Moor, WYMCC: Wakefield 1986.

Acknowledgements:  Big thanks to Sarah Walker for helping, albeit unsuccessfully, to scale this old rock to see the cup-and-rings on my last visit here.  At least we tried…

© Paul BennettThe Northern Antiquarian