We were driving home from a day out in North Yorkshire earlier on this year and as we passed Boroughbridge on the A1, we decided to take a detour to see The Devil's Arrows.
This alignment of three standing stones was erected in the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age between 5000 and 3500 years ago and they consist of some of the tallest standing stones in the United Kingdom. Two of the stones are located in a field and the third, larger one, is across a road.
Early accounts record varying numbers of stones, usually four or five but one account records seven standing stones.
They're composed of Millstone Grit and thought to have been quarried and transported from Plumpton Rocks nine miles away.
The stones are spaced unevenly and run from north-northwest to south-southeast.
The southernmost stone is the second tallest single standing stone in Britain, 6.9 metres, taller than any at Stonehenge.
You can read more about The Devil's Arrows if you click on the photo above. Isn't it amazing how man was able to transport huge stones, which are believed to weigh anything from twenty five tons to over forty tons, all that distance without any form of machinery. It's also amazing how they're still standing after thousands of years, withstanding erosion and anything else which has been thrown at them in all that time.
That sort of thing always amazes me. HOW in the world did they DO it? There was a man in Florida that built the Coral Castle all by himself and he did it at night. No one has ever figured out how he did it. He has been dead for many years but it is from this generation and not thousands of years old.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link if you are interested. I find it amazing and visited there when I lived in FL.
https://coralcastle.com/
Oh wow, that's amazing. How sad that he died without letting anyone in on his secret. As for building huge stone structures thousands of years ago, I just can't even begin to imagine how that was done.
DeleteInteresting post and pictures. xx
ReplyDeleteThere's so much history around, fascinating stuff.
DeleteHow old they are just boggles the mind. It was a worthy detour off your route for sure.
ReplyDeleteMy mind just doesn't work in those kind of numbers. All those years these stones have been standing, it's amazing.
DeleteWhy have I never heard of these? SSo very cool!
ReplyDeleteThere are always new things to discover. I'd never heard of them either and they're not all that far away from where I live.
Delete. . . and long may they remain standing!
ReplyDeleteSo much history in our country.
All the best Jan
It's amazing how they've stood so long. A shame that the rest of the stones are no longer there but remarkable that these haven't succumbed to the elements since they were erected.
DeleteThat's so interesting. I had no idea this existed.
ReplyDeleteWe're always finding new things on our travels, even quite close to home, which these are. It's fascinating to discover things we didn't know were there.
DeleteStone structures are fascinating and mostly we can only guess why they are there. I saw a programme years ago that reconstructed how they might have moved large stone long distances, it would have been hard work and taken many people for sure. Or there is the other theory that giants once lived on earth, ha ha. I think I prefer to believe that theory it sounds way more interesting 😂
ReplyDeleteOur ancestors were certainly resourceful, that's for sure. Yes, it would be fun to think that these large stones were moved by giants, perhaps we've been looking at things all wrong, haha.
DeleteHow interesting, I haven’t heard about the Devil's Arrows before. That's what is great about this country, there are so many historical places to visit stretching back years and years.
ReplyDeleteYou'd never know they were there if you were just passing. The site is quite unremarkable, I'm glad there's an information board at least.
DeleteI am fascinated by ancient stones and ancient carvings. It is wonderful that they are still there after so many years. They really are awe-inspiring. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
Ellie
It's a wonderful thing to have so much history around us, especially when they lead to new discoveries about how people used to live, it's fascinating.
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