Tag: Local history

St. John’s Stone, Leicester, Leicestershire

megalithix

Standing Stone (destroyed): OS Grid Reference – SK 5779 0644

Also Known as:

  1. Little John’s Stone

Archaeology & History

Nichols 1804 drawing

This once impressive megalithic site was first mentioned in 1381, giving its name to the field Johnstone Close.  Shown on the early Ordnance Survey maps standing on a raised portion of land in an area north of the modern town centre, not far from the Abbey, its destruction had been a slow one until it finally disappeared about a hundred years ago.  One of the early descriptions of it was by John Nichols (1804) in his immense series of works on the county.  He called it ‘Little John’s Stone’* and gave us the first known illustration of the monolith (right), telling it to be “7 feet 2 inches high, and 11 feet 3 inches wide”—although he obviously meant circumference and not ‘wide’, as his illustration clearly shows.  Although this slight error was perhaps the reason that Historic England proclaimed the stone to have been little more than “a natural feature”—which it clearly wasn’t.

Stone shown on 1885 map
John Flower’s 1815 sketch

The stone stood in what Nichols called “a kind of amphitheatre”, and what James Hollings (1855) subsequently called a sloping hollow which, he thought, had “been excavated by the hand of man.”  It was located “in a meadow, a little to the west of the Fosse-way,” he said, “not far from the ancient boundary wall of the Abbey of St. Mary de Pratis.”  There’s little doubt it was a prehistoric standing stone.  Hollings described it as standing erect and told it to be one of those “monolithic erections, or hoar stones, anciently sanctified by the rites of Druidic worship,” comparing it to “similar rude columns” in Cornwall, Scotland and just about everywhere!  He also told that it was a place of summer solstice gatherings, being

“in the memory of many living, annually visited about the time of Midsummer by numerous parties from the town in pursuance of a custom of unknown antiquity.”

When James Kelly (1884) wrote about the stone, little was left of it save at ground level.  He repeated much of what Hollings had previously written, but had a few notes of his own.  One related to the local mayor and MP for Leicester, Mr Richard Harris, dated January 1853, who told him:

“When a boy, he had frequently played on the spot where it was customary for the children to resort to dance round the stone (which he thought was about eight feet high), to climb upon it and to roll down the hill by which the stone is in part, encircled.  The children were careful to leave before dark, as it was believed that at midnight the fairies assembled and danced round the stone.”

More than fifty years later when Mrs Johnson (1906) wrote about the place she said that only a small section of the stone still remained, just “a few inches above the earth.”  It had been incrementally “broken to pieces down to the surface of the ground and used to mend the road.” (Kelly 1884)  Alice Dryden (1911) lamented its gradual demise in size, summarizing:

“At the beginning of the nineteenth century it was about 7 feet high, but by the year 1835 it had become reduced to about 3 feet.  In 1874, according to the British Association’s Report, it was about 2 feet high, and it has now completely disappeared.”

Local tradition tells that some small pieces of St John’s Stone were moved to the nearby St. Luke’s church, where bits of it can still be seen.  Has anyone found them?

More recent lore has attributed St John’s Stone to have been aligned with the Humber Stone (SK 62416 07095) nearly 3 miles to the east, in a summer solstice line—but it’s nowhere near it!  A similar astronomical attempt said that the two stones lined up with the Beltane sunrise: this is a little closer, but it still doesn’t work.  The equinox sunrise is closer still, but whether these two stones were even intervisible is questionable.

* this was probably the name it was known by local people who frequented the nearby Robin Hood public house (long gone); its saintly dedication being less important in the minds of Leicester’s indigenous folk. 

References:

  1. Cox, Barrie, The Place-Names of Leicestershire – volume 1, EPNS: Nottingham 1998.
  2. Devereux, Paul, “The Forgotten Heart of Albion,” in The Ley Hunter, no.66, 1975.
  3. Dryden, Alice, Memorials of Old Leicestershire, George Allen & Sons: London 1911.
  4. Hollings, James Francis, Roman Leicester, LLPS: Leicester 1855.
  5. Johnson, T. Fielding, Glimpses of Ancient Leicester, Clarke & Satchell: Leicester 1906.
  6. Kelly, William, Royal Progresses and Visits to Leicester, Samuel Clarke: Leicester 1884.
  7. Nichols, John, The History and Antiquities of Leicestershire – volume 3: part 2, J. Nichols: London 1804.
  8. Trubshaw, Bob, Standing Stones and Markstones of Leicestershire, Heart of Albion Press 1991.

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 Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Balmae (13), Kirkcudbright, Kirkcudbrightshire

megalithix

Cup-and-Ring Stone (lost):  OS Grid Reference – NX 68700 44699

Archaeology & History

Coles’ 1895 sketch

This impressive-looking carving was rediscovered in the 1880s during one of Fred Coles’ ventures uncovering many of the petroglyphs in this area.  It could be found, he said, “some three hundred yards south-east of Balmae House.”  When the local historian Malcolm Harper visited Samuel Fletcher who lived in the cottage at Balmae a few years after it had been discovered, he spoke enthusiastically about the carvings and knew much about them, but Harper doesn’t specifically mention whether or not he’d seen this stone (he probably did).  Nowadays the carving is covered in thickets of gorse and and, as a result, it hasn’t been seen in many a year.  The great Scottish petroglyph hunter Kaledon Naddair may have been one of the last people to visit it.

It’s impressive, as Mr Coles’ (1895) sketch shows, comprising, as he said, of

“two sets of concentric rings, one having four, the other five and a central cup. It is smooth, and slopes to the W. at an angle of 40°. The largest ring is 24 inches in diameter.”

A number of other impressive multiple-ringed carvings exist hereby that have also fallen prey to the cover of gorse.  So get some hedge-cutters and decent gardening gloves if you’re gonna look for this one!

References:

  1. Coles, Fred, “A Record of the Cup-and-Ring Markings in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright,” in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries Scotland, volume 29, 1895.
  2. Morris, Ronald W.B., “The Cup-and-Ring Marks and Similar Sculptures of South-West Scotland,” in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society, volume 14, 1967.
  3. Morris, Ronald W.B., The Prehistoric Rock Art of Galloway and the Isle of Man, Blandford: Poole 1979.
  4. Morris, Ronald W.B. & Bailey, Douglas C., “The Cup-and-Ring Marks and Similar Sculptures of Southwestern Scotland: A Survey,” in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 98, 1967.
  5. Royal Commission Ancient & Historical Monuments & Constructions of Scotland, Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in Galloway – volume 2: County of the Stewatry of Kirkcudbrightshire , HMSO: Edinburgh 1914.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Cow Clout Stone, Parton, Kirkcudbrightshire

megalithix

Legendary Rock:  OS Grid Reference – NX 6694 7336

Also Known as:

  1. Cowcloot Stone

Getting here

Harper’s 1876 sketch of the Cow Clout Stone

OK—I’m cheating here, as I’ve not visited this site (bad of me!).  The directions given here are from Harper’s 1876 Rambles in this area.  He told that the stone “stands about 100 yards to the north of the march dyke betwixt Upper Ervie, now Ken-Ervie and Nether Ervie. There is little to indicate its whereabouts, but the visitor coming from Kenmure Bridge, and leaving the road on the left, opposite Ringour and Bennan farms, on the opposite side of Loch Ken, would come upon it without much trouble by following the march dyke half a mile up.”  Basically, along the A713 just over 2 miles north of the bridge at Parton (½ mile before reaching the Galloway Activity Centre), 60 yards from the “Farm Access No Parking” spot, in the trees a long straight line of walling runs uphill.  That’d be my route—straight up!

Archaeology & History

This is a curious entry that I’ve added without visiting the site; but as I might never get to see it I thought it should be displayed in the hope that others might check it out.  The earliest literary reference to it is from Crosbie’s (1845) entry in the New Statistical Account, where he implies that the markings on the stone are not of Nature’s handiwork.  In Malcolm Harper’s (1876) fine work exploring the history and folklore of this region, he gave us the first illustration of the stone, which looks suspiciously like elements that we find on cup-and-ring stones.  Many years later when the Royal Commission (1914) lads followed up on Crosbie’s entry, they thought the markings were probably Nature’s handiwork.  They told that:

“It is an irregular mass of outcropping rock about 3 feet in diameter, and bears on its surface certain depressed markings supposed to represent a cow’s foot, a horse-shoe, and impressions which might be made by a man’s foot and knee in the act of kneeling. The markings appear to be natural.”

But it’s the animistic elements and traditions here which are important and which gave the stone its very name…

Folklore

When Rev. W.G. Crosbie (1845) first wrote about this stone, he was narrating the tale told of it by local people, whose traditions were greatly neglected by the majority of writers at that time.  Such stories should be preserved at all times, as they tell us more about the psychocosms of pre-industrial cultures.  Here,

“On the farm of Arvie, there is a flat stone about three feet in diameter, on which are the marks of what might be supposed a cow’s foot, a horse shoe, the four nails on each side being very distinct, and the impression which might be made by a man’s foot and knee while he was in the act of kneeling, the knot of the garter being quite evident.  The tradition connected with this remarkable stone, commonly called the ‘Cow Clout,’ is, that the proprietor, in order to get up arrears of rent, “drave the pun,” or in other words, carried off the hypothecated stock, while a fierce resistance was made by the people, and that over this stone, on which a man had just been praying for relief against his enemies, the cattle passed followed by an officer on horseback, and that it remains as a memorial to posterity of the cruel deed.”

If someone in that neck o’ the woods can find out if the stone’s still there and perhaps send us a photo, or stick it on our Facebook group, that’d be great! 🙂

References:

  1. Coles, Fred, “The Recent Cup and Ring Mark Discoveries in Kirkcudbrightshire”, in Proceedings Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, volume 5, 1888.
  2. Crosbie, W.G., “Parish of Parton,” in New Statistical Account of Scotland – volume 4, William Blackwood: Edinburgh 1845.
  3. Harper, Malcolm M., Rambles in Galloway, Edmonston & Douglas: Edinburgh 1876.
  4. Royal Commission Ancient & Historical Monuments & Constructions of Scotland, Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in Galloway – volume 2: County of the Stewatry of Kirkcudbrightshire , HMSO: Edinburgh 1914.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Carron Hill, Stenhousemuir, Stirlingshire

megalithix

Cist (destroyed):  OS Grid Reference – NS 872 825 (approximation)

Antiquarian Notes

Writing in the “Transactions of the Stirling Natural History & Archaeological Society” in 1882, Mr Thomson told:

“About the middle of last month I was informed by Mr Bruce that the Council of the Field Club had asked the rector and myself to go and examine a cist alleged to have been discovered in a field near Stenhousemuir.  I arranged with the rector to go the following Saturday.  As he was suffering from cold, and it was stormy, he was unable to go.  I thought I would risk cold and storm, and at the station met Mr Taylor of Morrison & Taylor, who was just returning to Larbert.  Learning my errand he kindly promised me every assistance.  During tea Miss Taylor procured for me the account of the opening of the cist which had appeared in the Falkirk Herald.  It ran as follows:

“‘Discovery of Human Remains – On Tuesday last, the workmen employed by the Carron Company in excavating the Sand Hills, about a quarter of a mile to the south of the village of Stenhousemuir, made a discovery which has caused some excitement in the district.  At the depth of four feet from the surface the workmen came in contact with a stone coffin or grave, 3 feet 9 inches long by 2 feet broad, very substantially built, and containing the remains of a human body.  When the discovery was made, parts of the skull were in good preservation, but soon after being exposed to the air they  crumbled away.  The remains have been carefully collected, and are now in possession of the workmen at the hut at the Sand Quarry.  On Wednesday a great many people visited the place, prompted by a natural curiosity to see these relies thus suddenly brought to light, the history of which, it is to be feared, must ever remain a mystery. ’”

“After tea, Mr Taylor and I went to the place where the cist was railed off.  It is in the middle of a field acquired by the Carron Company to take sand for their castings from, and the excavation that revealed the cist had been made with a view of getting a new bed of sand.  About 200 yards west of the gate of Carron Park House, and close by a railway for waggons, where the workmen had been digging pits, partly with a view to find, as I understood, the lie of the sand, and partly also to arrange the course of a waggon railway for the new sand pit, they came upon traces of a disturbance in the sand.  On digging down they came upon some large stones.  On lifting them they found some bones, among the rest the top of the skull. The latter was injured somewhat by the spade, and it seems soon to have crumbled away.

“When I went along with Mr Taylor to the spot, which, as we have said, had been railed off by the kindness of Mr Cowan, the manager, we found that the cist had been somewhat dismantled, the upper large stones were lying about the side of the cist, and along with them several smaller ones.  We noted that the depth below the surface had been exaggerated in the Falkirk Herald, from the reporter having failed to notice that the earth had been heaped up on the spot when the present waggon railroad was made.  We measured the cavity carefully: the length was 3 feet 8 inches, the greatest breadth 16½ inches, and the least 14 inches, the greatest depth to the bottom of the stones still standing was 15 inches.  There were three large stones, each about 2 feet by 16 inches, which had been the roof of the cist.  A young man who had watched our movements with some curiosity, went and brought an old man who had been present when the cist was opened — he told us strange tales of how these three large stones had all been one but were “jist fair rotten.”  The fact that the stones showed no signs of ever having been one, and that their thicknesses being different — one being 5 inches, another 7½ inches, and a third 2½ inches — did not unduly disconcert him when questioned by Mr Taylor in cross-examination, but brought out from him the somewhat irrelevant information that he was seventy-nine and had been under “sax managers in Carron, and he should ken a’ aboot it.”  He further declared that the smaller stones had been one stone also.  This was even more difficult to believe, and when he proceeded to tell of a layer of fine powdered lime being laid between the stones we suspected his years had brought dotage, not increase of knowledge.  I learned that the bones had been removed from the hut, and were in the keeping of the manager, so Mr Taylor kindly took me to see him in his house some two miles or so from the place where the cist was found.  He told us that he had arranged for their safe custody, but had never seen them, and asked me to come some other day, not a Saturday.

“I went again on Friday week, and saw another of the workmen, and a gentleman from Carron works.  This other workman had not his friend’s great age, and admitted that the stones were not one originally, and that the small ones formed part of the sides.  If those small stones were built up on the existing walls of the cist, their height would be brought up to about 2 feet in all.

“I noted carefully that the joints were not filled up with clay, and that neglecting the variation of the compass, the cist lay due north and south.  The gentleman who had been sent by Mr Cowan, when asked about the bones, took out of his pocket what seemed a box for holding twelve gross of pens, and opened it; it was filled with a mass of small fragments of bone quite friable and utterly indistinguishable…”

Further Reading:

  1. Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments Scotland, Stirling – 2 volumes, HMSO: Edinburgh 1963.
  2. Thomson, J., “The Cist at Stenhousemuir”, in Transactions Stirling Natural History & Archaeological Society, no.4 1882.

Stump Cross, Bramley, Leeds, West Yorkshire

megalithix

Cross (destroyed):  OS Grid Reference – SE 2546 3537

Archaeology & History

Location of the old cross

In medieval times an old stone cross was erected at the edge of Bramley where two old tracks once met, and which today is the junction where Broad Lane meets with Outgang Lane.  The cross is long gone – and even the stone cross base on which it stood no longer existed when the Ordnance Survey lads came here in the 1840s.  All that remained when they came here were the place-names which have forever kept a memory of its former existence: Stump Cross Stile and Stump Cottage.  It was mentioned, albeit briefly, in Wardell’s (1890) survey of Kirkstall Abbey where he told simply that a

“stone cross formerly stood some distance south of the Abbey by the side of the Old Road to Bradford, at the junction of the lane leading to Bramley, called the Outgang, but no remains of it are left; the site, however, is still known by the name of ‘Stump Cross Stile.’  Whether this cross marked the extent of some boundary, or was erected by the monks or others for the purposes of devotion for wayfarers, I am unable to ascertain.”

References:

  1. Wardell, James, An Historical Account of Kirkstall Abbey, Yorkshire, Samuel Moxon: Leeds 1890.

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 Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Killingbeck Cross, Leeds, West Yorkshire

megalithix

Cross (destroyed):  OS Grid Reference – SE 3071 3463

Archaeology & History

In James Wardell’s (1890) work on Kirkstall Abbey he describes several of the long lost stone crosses that used to exist in the area.  This one,

“formerly stood by the road side at the south end of Sheepscar Bridge, in Leeds.”

The cross had already been destroyed by the time the Ordnance Survey lads explored the area in the 1840s, as there’s no showing of it on any of their maps.  Wardell further stated that it was,

“called Killingbeck Cross, from being erected by either the Abbot of Kirkstall or the Vicar of Leeds, of that name.”

References:

  1. Wardell, James, An Historical Account of Kirkstall Abbey, Yorkshire, S. Moxon: Leeds 1890.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Corrycharmaig (9), Killin, Perthshire

megalithix

Cup-and-Ring Stone:  OS Grid Reference – NN 52976 35894

Archaeology & History

This is a relatively new find that was uncovered in 2019 by members of the Association of Certified Field Archaeologists, on the western edge of a small bowl of blackthorn trees, just past one of the Corrycharmaig East carvings — and it’s a bit of a beauty!

Topmost part of carving

Corrycharmaig (9) stone

Described, albeit briefly, in the superb survey by Gardiner, King & MacInnes (2024), the carving here has been cut into a sloping straight line of rock along the ridge of a very tiny cliff and consists of cups, single rings and multiple rings.  At its crown, so to speak, where the rock surface levels out and is flat, a very well-preserved multiple cup-and-ring greets our senses: a cup-and-four rings to be precise.  The outermost edge of the rings cuts into a natural crack that runs to the edge of the stone; and close to where this crack reaches the edge, another standard cup-and-ring rests against it.  On this same section you’ll see a single cup which, by the look of it, was intended to have a much wider ring surrounding it—but for some reason it was never executed.

Second multiple-ringer

Second multiple-ring

From the topmost section, the rock then slopes gradually downward and the design is broken by several natural splits in the stone before we reach a single unfinished cup-and-ring and a solitary cup-mark.  These occur shortly before we reach a near-duplicate of the multiple-ringer that we’ve just seen on the flat top of the stone.  The outer ring of this is broken and the edges of it are intruded (again) by natural cracks in the stone (a not uncommon feature).  The erosion level of this and its fellow four-ringed compatriot at the top are much the same, suggesting that the two were executed at around the same time.

Lower-half with cup&rings

Close-up of cup&rings

As we move down the slope of the rock with its veritable scattering of geological splits, the rest of the design consists of several single cup-and-rings—at least three of them—over its lower-half, almost in a gentle arc over the surface.  The one closest to the four-rings has a single cup-mark attached to its outer edge and another single one just a few inches away from it.  The others don’t seem to have any additional carved features attached to them; although one or two other singular cup-marks can be seen on this, the lowest section of the carving.

Looking to the hills

From the bottom up

An interesting feature noted here is the direction that this line of rock points to: a dip between two distinct rocky peaks on the horizon and which is close to the winter solstice sunset.  I should point out however, that the relationship between open air petroglyphs and astronomical alignments (in Britain at least) is very debatable.  Even alignments from one carving to another are pretty meaningless, despite the attempts of some modern archaeologist to show otherwise.  In my younger days when I raced into rock art studies, I threw everything I had to show astronomical and other alignments were involved in these carvings—but it turned out not to be…. Instead, it turns out that some of these seeming ‘alignments’ (and only a few) relate to pathways and ancient routes: pointers, if you like, to the way ahead.  Makes sense…

References:

  1. Gardiner, M., King, L. & MacInnes, Dugald, In the Glen of the Dark Goddess, Bell & Bain: Glasgow 2024.

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 Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Bardristane (1), Anwoth, Kirkcudbrightshire

megalithix

Cup-and-Ring Stone (lost):  OS Grid Reference – NX 529 528

Also Known as:

  1. Bardriston

Archaeology & History

In a region possessed with a good number of cup and ring stones, this one on the lower slopes of Barholm Hill may have once been part of a prehistoric tomb, or cist cover.  A fairly decent design had been carved onto a small flat slab of stone which, when uncovered in the 19th century, doesn’t seem to have been in its original position.  As the great Fred Coles (1894) told us:

Coles’ 1895 sketch

“The Bardristan slab…was removed from amongst the stones of an old drain in 1889, and, through Mr Kinna’s care, it is now preserved at Bardristan.  The evident attempt to square the stone itself; the extreme smallness of the rings ; the direct connection of the grooves, in all cases but one, with cups; and lastly, the vivid sharpness of the whole sculpturing, in which the tool-work is clear much beyond the ordinary, all combine to render this Bardristan slab unusually interesting and valuable.”

Less than twenty years after Coles’ description, the Royal Commission (1914) lads visited the site hoping to make their own assessment, but the carving had already been lost.  Referring to Coles’ account, they told how,

“inquiry there failed to elicit information concerning it, and it appears to have been lost. Mr Coles’ illustration…shows in the general intercommunication of the various cups a feature which characterises the stone at Kirkclaugh, about ¼ mile to the south of Bardriston.”

In the subsequent commentaries on this carving by Ron Morris (1967; 1979) and A.E. Truckell (1961), its whereabouts remained a mystery and, to this day, we know not what became of it…

References:

  1. Coles, Fred R., “A Record of the Cup-and-Ring Markings in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright,” in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries Scotland, volume 29, 1895.
  2. Morris, Ronald W.B., “The Cup-and-Ring Marks and Similar Sculptures of South-West Scotland,” in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society, volume 14, 1967.
  3. Morris, Ronald W.B., The Prehistoric Rock Art of Galloway and the Isle of Man, Blandford: Poole 1979.
  4. Morris, Ronald W.B. & Bailey, Douglas C., “The Cup-and-Ring Marks and Similar Sculptures of Southwestern Scotland: A Survey,” in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, Scotland, volume 98, 1967.
  5. Royal Commission Ancient & Historical Monuments & Constructions of Scotland, Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in Galloway – volume 2: County of the Stewatry of Kirkcudbrightshire , HMSO: Edinburgh 1914.
  6. Truckell, A.E., “Cup-and-Ring-Marked Slabs in the Cairnholy and Auchinlarie Area,” in Transactions of Galloway & Dumfriesshire Natural History & Antiquarian Society, volume 40, 1961.

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 Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Mineral Well, Hickling, Nottinghamshire

megalithix

Healing Well (lost):  OS Grid Reference – SK 692 293

Archaeology & History

At the rear east-side of st. Luke’s church in what was once the old stable yard at the back of the rectory, a large pond can be seen.  In the 19th Century it was much smaller than it’s present size—and in the centuries before that, it took the simple form of a clear spring of water, known by local folk simply as the Mineral Spring.  The medicinal properties of the waters seem to have been forgotten…

References:

  1. Wadkin, H.M., Hickling: Reflections of Yesteryear, Sherwood Free Press 1991.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

Intake Farm, Hawksworth, West Yorkshire

megalithix

Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 15867 41244

Getting Here

Intake Farm carving

In Hawksworth village, less than 100 yards past the primary school, take the footpath on your left into the open fields.  200 yards down the fields, go over the stile on your right, into the next field and walk diagonally across it (SW) for 250 yards until you reach the wall; then walk alongside it, west, for another 150 yards where the walling goes due south and walk down here for 135 yards, going through the gate at the bottom into the next field and, at the bottom of this one go through the gate and bear right.  OK, now walk along the wall-side for 55 yards and you’re just about standing on it!  Alternatively you can reach it via the Hawksworth Spring (1) and (4) carvings, following the wall along for roughly 150 yards till you reach the gate. Go through here and walk diagonally NNW across the field for nearly 150 yards where you’ll see the stone stuck out in front of the wall.

Archaeology & History

My first sight of this came about as I walked alongside the walling.  Approaching the stone, I noticed what looked like a recent cup-like marking with a curved line emerging from it on its eastern surface; but it didn’t look too old and was more like the scratch-marks you see sometimes when farmers have been dragging rocks along to be used in walling.  So I shrugged in slight disappointment—until the far-side, the western-side of the stone came into view.

Line of cups

Main scatter of cups

Sloping ever-so-slightly down into the ground, the surface of the stone had a cluster of quite worn, shallow, but distinct cup-markings between one and two inches across, four of which ran in a line from the top to the edge of the stone in a slight curve.  As I walked round it, looking from different angles, it became obvious that two or three other cups existed—mainly from the top to the western side of the rock.  One seemed to exist near the edge, whilst two other faint ones sat to the side of the line-of-four—almost creating a square formation.  From some angles it looked as if there may be faint lines running between some of the cups but (as usual) the sunlight didn’t really help highlight them and they could just be faded erosion lines.

Looking down at the cups

Water & sunlight & cups

It was obvious that a section of the stone on its southern edge had been broken off in the not-too-distant past, raising the idea that the design may originally have been larger than its present form.  This thought returned when I walked another 60 yards west along the wall and came across a broken section of stone that had been placed into it, pretty recently, and on its vertical face noticed a single cup-mark in a good state of preservation, indicating that it had either been cut recently or instead been dug out of the ground not too long ago and shown intself to the world after a sleep of several millenia.  Look at it when you have a gander at the main carving here and make up your own mind….

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian