Airedale – Page 13

Todmor Stone, Bingley Moor, West Yorkshire

27/09/200931/10/2019 megalithix

‘Standing Stone’: OS Grid Reference – SE 1096 4261

From East Morton village, take the moorland road, east, and up the steep hill. Where the road levels out there’s a right turn, plus (more importantly!) a trackway on your left which leads onto the moor. Go up here, past the top of the tree-line; on for another 100 yards or so, then turn left into the heather. You’ll notice the upright stone from the path, even if the heather’s deep. Check it out!

Archaeology & History

Todmoor Stone - looking east — Todmoor Stone – looking east

Todmoor Stone, looking south — Todmoor Stone – looking south

Nowt’s been said of this stone elsewhere — probably cos it’s in that halfway height between being classed as an authentic monolith, and that other of ‘dubious status’ (hence the reason I’ve highlighted this in inverted commas!). But an additional reason that this three-foot-tall stone needs describing is the close association it has with cup-and-ring stones very close by; along with some previously unrecognised prehistoric walling and at least one Bronze Age cairn some twenty yards to the north. We even find two distinctly archetypal ‘standing stone’ characters laid down in the heather 10 yards to the north, more than 4-feet long. It’s a good looking stone and has a chunkier upright bedfellow in the heather some twenty yards to the west. Along with the adjacent prehistoric remains here, the stone’s worth checking out!

The word Todmor was earlier spelt as ‘Todmerstones’ (1849) and is thought to relate to it being, in some form or another, ‘the boundary stones of the fox/es’. The nearest boundary line is about 100 yards west of here.

References:

Smith, A.H., The Place-Names of ther West Riding of Yorkshire – volume 4, Cambridge University Press 1961.

Esholt Lane Carving, Esholt, Bradford, West Yorkshire

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Cup-Marked Stone: OS Grid Reference – SE 1743 3975

Also Known as:

Carving no.10 (Boughey & Vickerman)

Getting Here

Seemingly not visible anymore, but directions given by a Miss N. Hutchinson in the early 1960s worked for me and Dave Pendleton when we checked this out at the end of our teens. We had to look around till we found it, based on the following directions. The carving was found “on top of a low dry wall on Esholt Lane, Esholt…on the stretch of road from the junction of Gill Beck with the River Aire to the stone-built barn on the left-side of the road, that is, going towards Esholt.”

Archaeology & History

First described by Miss Hutchinson in a letter she sent to Sydney Jackson (1964), editor of Bradford Archaeology group newsletter. When we first found this small carving (not far from where we grew up) we were at the end of our teens, and followed the directions cited in the Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin (see above). The carved design was typical of the primary arcs found in many of the Baildon Moor cup-and-ring carvings a bit further up the hill, but with two other small faint cup-markings on it. According to Boughey & Vickerman (2003), the carving’s now been hidden in a section of walling that’s been rebuilt. The drawing here is from one of my unpublished notebooks. (1984)

References:

Bennett, Paul, Ramblings of Archaeological Remnants in West Yorkshire, unpublished: Shipley 1984.
Boughey, Keith & Vickerman, E.A., Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding, WYAS 2003.
Jackson, Sydney, ‘Cup-Marked Rock – Esholt Discovery,’ in Bradford Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, 9:4, 1964.

Currer Woods Stone, Steeton, West Yorkshire

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Cup-and-Ring Stone: OS Grid Reference – SE 0251 4384

Getting Here

On the opposite side of the road (B6265) from Airedale General Hospital, Steeton, you’ll notice a footpath going up the field into some woods. Go up here. Once you come out the top of the woods, follow the dodgy path on your right (west) along the rocky edges for 250 yards, following the edges of the field walling. You’ll eventually reach the field with lots of rocks in it. It’s the field before this one, close to the walling. Look around!

Archaeology & History

I’ve been a little cautious about putting this carving on TNA simply because it seems to be an isolated example and was a little unsure about its veracity. If I’d have found the stone on the edges of Ilkley Moor, Rivock Edge, or the heights above Askwith, I wouldn’t have hesitated. The fact that no other carvings occur nearby has been my main trouble. But I suppose if the carving turns out to be nowt of the sort, I can discard it at a future date and, of course, make sure that a lot of other cup-and-ring stones are disregarded at the same time (there are a number of other designs much less defined than this one which have been okayed by archaeo’s who’ve been into this subject for much shorter periods of time than myself). But less of the waffle!

When we first found this, in April 2009, I was out looking for the remains of an old well (called Jane Well, a few hundred yards west of here). The heaven’s opened and I ended up in the woodland and then found the field full of large rocks, some seemingly used by man in more recent centuries, atop of the woods, and so had to check them out! But this was one of the first stones we found.

The rock itself, as the photo shows, appears to have had one end of it split or broken off (not unlike one edge of the Hanging Stones, Ilkley Moor) at some time in the past, intruding on the arc, or line, beneath which are two distinct ‘cups’. A possible third cup-marking and other linear aspects seem apparent, with the design giving the distinct impression of a face. I keep meaning to go back and get a rubbing of the carving, but aint got round to it yet. When (if!) I gerrit done, I’ll add it onto this profile.

And although there are said to be no other prehistoric remains close to this old carving, the fields a coupla hundred yards west used to be called the Barrow Fields, where tombs were once found; and a little further along the same geological ridge atop of the excellent Kirk rocks, possible cup-markings scatter the edges of two sections — but they’re a little dubious; then there’s the Dragon Stone and associated cup-marked stone not far away. In the adjacent woods are the remains of old walling, but I’ve not found other carvings hereabouts. However, the rule tends to be: “where there’s one, there are more!”

Watch this space!

Pathway Stone, Holden, Silsden, West Yorkshire

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Cup-Marked Stone: OS Grid Reference – SE 07021 44884

Also Known as:

Rough Holden CR-9

Getting Here

Follow the footpath running from the Rivock TV mast northwest, where it cuts diagonally across the field, heading towards the drystone wall. About 200 yards before the walling – stop! It’s just to your right-hand side, very close by!

Archaeology & History

First discovered in July 2009 when Keighley volunteer, Michala Potts of Bracken Bank, did further ramblings amidst the long grasses hereabouts. Its name comes from the fact that it’s found just next to the footpath that cuts across Rough Holden from the TV mast beneath Rivock. The carving’s a very simple plain design, as the photos show, with just three faded cup-markings etched onto the stones northeast face.

This stone aint too far from the cup-marked Dump Stone and the nearby Rough Holden design, but all across the Holden Rough grasslands are the faded remains of old pit-workings. It makes you wonder just how many other carvings once existed across this flatland. The fact that this and the other ones nearby still remain is damn fortunate!

Robin Hood’s Stone, Riddlesden, West Yorkshire

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Legendary Rock: OS Grid Reference – SE 06228 44470

Getting Here

Dead easy! If you come from Silsden, take the Holden Road up onto the moor edge, all the way up the wooded hill. As you reach the top, keep your eyes peeled for the stone in the slope to your left. Otherwise, coming from Riddlesden, take the moor road upwards (to Silsden Road) as if you’re gonna visit Peggy Mawson’s Well, the Baldwin Stone or some of the Rivock carvings. Keep on the road to where you see the microwave tower on Pinfold Hill to your right. It’s just below it!

Archaeology & History

RH Stone, Rivock02 — Robin Hood’s Stone from above

Flints have been found on the slopes above here, but records of this stone only go back — as far as I’ve found — to 1850 (this seems to typify records around the Keighley district, which only seems to record anything post-1500 AD). In mid-Victorian times, plans were afoot to use the rock for building material, but local people objected and so the stone kept its position overlooking the valley. There are a number of very defined ‘cups’ on the sloping face of the stone, but several (though not all) of these have all the likeness of the holes dug into the rock by climbers — though why climbers would even think to cut foot-holes into this easy rock beggars belief!

Folklore

One of several sharp well-defined 'cups' on the rock — One of several sharp well-defined ‘cups’ on the rock

Not too surprisingly, folklore tells that this stone was one of the places where our old hero Robin Hood sheltered, when being chased by god-knows-who in one of his many exploits. We’ve no way of proving this of course, but the sparse woodland remains above here also bear the hero’s name. What seems to be a more modern piece of industrial folklore alleges that this stone was actually put here by workers in the Victorian times! The boulder allegedly lived near Barden, Bolton Abbey, but was blocking construction work, so was uprooted and moved all the way to where it now sits! In bygone times the rock was a local meeting place – perhaps around Beltane, in line with Robin Hood festivities.

References:

Gray, Johnnie, Through Airedale from Goole to Malham, Elliot Stock: London 1891.

Peggy Well, Silsden, West Yorkshire

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Healing Well: OS Grid Reference – SE 0655 4413

Also Known as:

Peggy Mawson’s Well
Peggy’s Well

Getting Here

From Riddlesden, take the road up to the moorland and Rivock Edge. When you reach the top (Silsden Road), turn left. Go on for about 600 yards till you reach the lovely tree-hidden old cottages of Holden Gate, on your right. Stop — and walk down the footpath opposite from here. As the wall goes down, you’ll notice a stream in the next field to your left, emerging from a clump of large rocks. That’s it! (there’s a footpath in the next field from the roadside)

Archaeology & History

Shown on the first OS-map as ‘Peggy Mawson’s Well,’ little else seems to known of this place; though it obviously got its name after the local lady, Peggy Mawson. I can find no further information about this lady, nor why the site was named after her. Any help here would be hugely appreciated!

Peggy Mawson’s Well – now drained-off through pipes

Sadly the waters from beneath the rocks have been channeled into a couple of pipes and the well no longer runs. All that’s left is a small boggy region just in front of the boulders. You have to walk about 100 yards further down the field where the water emerges from a modern pipe. It doesn’t taste as nice as it originally did when coming straight from the ground, but it’s still quite drinkable (certainly beats any of the chlorinated stuff* that customers are forced to pay for, whether we want it or not – and most people don’t want it).

Folklore

This site has acquired modern folklore, but sadly no early traditions have been found. Whelan & Taylor (1989) thought that Peggy Well’s “dedication suggests a connection with St. Margaret,” which unfortunately isn’t the case. Several years later another writer, Val Shepherd (1994), spun the speculation even further, not checking the historical background to the site, and thought that “the well’s name may be derived from the water spirit, ‘Peg,’ who gave her name to other wells.” Sadly neither idea holds any sway.

References:

Shepherd, Val, Historic Wells in and Around Bradford, HOAP: Loughborough 1994.
Whelan, Edna & Taylor, Ian, Yorkshire Holy Wells and Sacred Springs, Northern Lights: Pocklington 1989.

* Anyone know about this: surely because the water companies chlorinate and add other undesirable toxins into our tap water, what we’re actually drinking is a very weak solution and not actually water. Isn’t that a trading standards violation?

Robin Hood’s Wood CR-2, Silsden, West Yorkshire

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Cup-Marked Stone: OS Grid Reference – SE 06521 44887

Getting Here

Follow the same directions for reaching the Baldwin Stone. From here, with your back to the wall, face the small remnants of Robin Hood’s Wood and walk straight to where the game-keeper’s stuff is in the trees 150 yards straight in front. Go through the small copse and out the other side, in a straight line for another 70 yards. This stone’s mainly covered over with vegetation (and we covered most of it back over again) so you might have trouble finding it. But with patience and a good nose, you’ll find it hereabouts!

Archaeology & History

Robin Hood's Wood Cup-Marks — Robin Hood’s Wood Cup-Marks

Another previously undiscovered carving, found yesterday (12.6.09) by Michala Potts after rummaging for sometime amidst the mass of Juncus grasses which cover the plain immediately north of Robin Hood’s Wood. Not much to see unless you’re a real rock-art freak, as we only have two definite cup-markings on the stone. A possible third cup can be seen closer to the NW edge, where the rock becomes more crystalline.

I was rather intrigued by Mikki’s find, as when she shouted me over, found that she’d rolled much of the vegetation back that had been covering the stone. Without rolling the grasses back from the surface, she wouldn’t have found the cup-marks; and considering the number of stones that scatter this plain, I asked why she’d chosen to uncover this one and not the others.

“It told me to!” she said in that blunt Yorkshire way.

“Aaahhh,” I thought…

Rough Holden CR-7, Silsden, West Yorkshire

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Cup-and-Ring Stone: OS Grid Reference – SE 06918 45020

Getting Here

Rough Holden CR03 — Rough Holden Cup-and-Ring Stone

Another carving that might take a bitta finding. Follow the same directions for reaching the Holden Buttock Stone, going past it towards the fence 100 yards away. Go through the gate and walk along the path for a couple of hundred yards. As you walk down, you’ll eventually see the cluster of rocks amidst which lives the Dump Stone carving. This, the Rough Holden cup-and-ring, is off the path (right) before you get to them in the grasses. Look around.

Archaeology & History

Rediscovered in June 2009 by Michala Potts and I, this little stone at first only appeared to possess a few cup-markings, but the more we looked at it, the more obvious it became that one of the cups had a nice ring surrounding it. Unfortunately this didn’t come out at all well in any of the photos we took, so we need to another visit here whe the sunlight’s right to get a decent image. Aswell as that, the drawing we did of the basic design appears to be missing what looks another blatant cup-marking near the centre of the rock, which did not seem at all obvious to the naked eye when we found it. (such are the delights of assessing cup&rings!)

First sketch of the stone — Basic sketch of the stone

The main cluster of cups occurs on the northern-edge of the stone, where a couple of them seem linked by linear features. There are also what may be a cup or three on the vertical edge of the rock, below these cups – but this needs looking at again the better lighting. The cup-and-ring is very faint, but once noticed it become increasingly obvious that it’s there, and most of the ring can be traced with ease by running one’s finger along the groove. Mikki reckons the ring runs all the way round the cup (she’s probably right), where as I could only work it out running 75% of the way round. The line which runs off above the ring seems to link up with what looks like another obvious cup-marking on the photo. We’ll have to check it out properly next time we’re up there!

Holden Buttock Stone, Silsden, West Yorkshire

13/06/200927/10/2019 megalithix

Cup-Marked Stone: OS Grid Reference – SE 06886 44723

Also Known as:

Rough Holden CR-5

Getting Here

Holden Buttock Stone02 — Holden Buttock Stone and its faint cups

A bit troublesome this one – and the 8-figure grid-ref might be slightly astray (though only by a little). Get to the TV-mast below Rivock Edge and notice the small path going along the top of the adjacent field, over the fence, heading north-ish into the meadows — not the path into the forest. Walk on the meadow path, over the wall and notice a rise in the ground ahead of you. Go past this mound for about 75 yards and keep your eyes peeled!

Archaeology & History

Holden Buttock Stone01 — Close-up of cup-markings

Named by virtue of the shape of the stone, the Keighley volunteer Michala Potts of Bracken Bank found this carving on an exploratory amble yesterday (Friday, June 12, 2009). Previously unrecorded, this carving consists merely of cup-markings — four distinct ones on the northeasterly edge of the rock, with two other ‘possibles’ thereon. The cups have been pretty well-eroded by the elements and there are few distinguishing features which will make this of any real interest, unless you’re a real rock-art freak!

Rivock Nose (2), Keighley, West Yorkshire

11/06/200919/04/2024 megalithix

Cup-Marked Stone: OS Grid Reference – SE 07360 44629

Also Known as:

Carving no.11 (Hedges)
Carving no.46 (Boughey & Vickerman)

Getting Here

Follow the same directions for reaching the Wondjina Stone. Once here, walk to the edge of the cliffs less than 10 yards away and the second largest of the rocks is the one you’re after. (the Rivock Nose [1] and [3] carvings are the rocks either side of this one)

Archaeology & History

I’ve gotta admit, I was slightly surprised to find this carving logged in both Hedges (1986) and Boughey & Vickerman’s (2003) surveys. Although we find the distinct appearence of cup-markings near the edge of the cliff at the northwestern end of Rivock Edge, these seem a little too close to being natural to be comfortably acknowledged in archaeo-texts without notes the contrary. I took a photo of them when we were up visiting the other day, but didn’t expect them to be in the books. Not only do they include this probably natural example, they also add another two rocks found along the cliff edges (Hedges 12 & 13; B&V 45 & 47). In the event that these carvings are deemed authentic, then those along the edge of the great Kirk cliffs above Steeton must also be added to the same pot.

In the photo here you can work out perhaps nine cup-marks near the edge of the cliff, which is what the textbooks say. Make your own mind up when your next looking at the Wondjina Stone and others nearby.

References:

Boughey, Keith & Vickerman, E.A., Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding, WYAS 2003.
Feather, Stuart, ‘Mid-Wharfedale Cup-and-Ring Markings: Nos. 7 & 8, Rivock Edge,’ in Cartwright Hall Archaeology Group Bulletin, 6:8, 1961.
Hedges, John (ed.), The Carved Rocks on Rombald’s Moor, WYMCC: Wakefield 1986.