Tag: Weston

Snowden Carr Carving (600), Askwith Moor, North Yorkshire

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Cup-Marked Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 17987 51162

Also Known as:

  1. Coped Stone

Getting Here

Follow the same directions as to reach the Tree of Life Stone carving.  From here walk 7 or 8 yards east.  You can’t miss it!

Archaeology & History

Coped Stone carving (after Boughey & Vickerman)

About 20 feet away from the more renowned Tree of Life Stone — and seemingly linked to it by a small stretch of ancient walling that runs between the respective stones — is this rather large boulder close to the walling with at least seven cup-marks on it.  A number of vague lines run down and around the edges of some of the cups, but they can be somewhat hard to see if the light conditions aint right (I don’t recommend trying to suss it out on dark grey overcast days — unless you’ve got awesome eyes!).  Immediately next to this rock is a large collection of small stones, looking to be the remains of some man-made construction from time past.  The nature of this pile of rocks has yet to be ascertained, but it would be reasonable to assume that it was at one point earlier a much larger pile that has been plundered for use to make the drystone walls hereby.  Less than 10 yards below this and the Tree of Life Stone carving is a line of ancient walling, at least Iron Age in nature, possibly earlier, running for some distance east-west up and across the moorland.

Cup-marks near top of the stone

The carving was described for the first time, albeit very briefly, by Eric Cowling (1937) in his lengthier description of the Tree of Life Stone, saying how “a small coped stone to the east has several scattered cups” on its surface — meaning this old thing!  Boughey & Vickerman’s (2003) survey (2003) describe it as a

“medium-sized, upstanding, worn rock.  Seven or eight possible cups, mostly at the top of S face, but one at its bottom of E face.”

…And the poor old fella has had nowt else said of it until now!  I reckon this carving will only be of interest to the most serious of meditators or hardened rock-art freaks!

References:

  1. Boughey, Keith & Vickerman, E.A., Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding, WYAS 2003.
  2. Cowling, Eric T., “Cup and Ring Markings to the North of Otley,” in Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, part 131, 33:3, 1937.
  3. Cowling, Eric T., Rombald’s Way: A Prehistory of Mid-Wharfedale, William Walker: Otley 1946.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian


Todholes, Weston, Lanarkshire

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Standing Stone (destroyed): OS Grid Reference – NT 038 456

Archaeology & History

This standing stone used to be positioned on the old boundary line between the Carnwatch and Dunsyre parishes.  It might be a good idea to check out the perambulation records to see if owt went off here, before its destruction.  About five-feet tall, it was positioned on a small rise in the ground, 500 yards south of Todholes.

References:

  1. Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland, Lanarkshire: Prehistoric and Roman Monuments, HMSO: Edinburgh 1978.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian 


Greystone Allotment, Weston, North Yorkshire

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Cup-and-Ring Stone:  OS Grid Reference – SE 18433 49648

Also Known as:

  1. Carving no.541 (Boughey & Vickerman)
  2. Greystone Rock

Getting Here

Although cited as being on Weston Moor, it is closer to Askwith village. From the village, take the north road and shortly before reaching the T-junction, park-up (somewhere!). There’s a small copse of trees on your right and fields above them – that’s where you’re heading. You might have to bimble about a bit before the rock catches your attention, but it’s worth the wandering.  Look around!

Archaeology & History

Sketch of the design c.1985

This is an excellent, archetypal cup-and-ring stone that’ll be loved by any real rock art student!  Cups-and-multiple rings are the main visual feature to this stone, along with another 20 single cups and another primary cup-and-ring, all on a medium-sized sloping rock face.  The carving was first described by Cowling & Hartley (1937).  Since their initial discovery, several other writers have mentioned it with little further comment.  The smaller but impressive double cup-and-ring carving 543 can be seen at the bottom left of the woodland in front of you – well worth seeing if you’re visiting here!

References:

  1. Boughey, Keith & Vickerman, E.A., Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding, West Yorkshire Archaeology Service 2003.
  2. Cowling, Eric T., Rombald’s Way, William Walker: Otley 1946.
  3. Cowling, E.T. & Hartley, ‘Cup-and-Ring Markings to the North of Otley,’ in Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 33, 1937.
  4. Hotham, John Paul, Halos and Horizons, Hotham Publishing: Leeds 2021.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian