<< Our Photo Pages >> Rudston Monolith - Standing Stone (Menhir) in England in Yorkshire (East)
Submitted by Kelpie on Monday, 26 February 2024 Page Views: 41414
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Rudston MonolithCountry: England County: Yorkshire (East) Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Nearest Town: Bridlington Nearest Village: Rudston
Map Ref: TA0980367743 Landranger Map Number: 101
Latitude: 54.093884N Longitude: 0.322574W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
bishop_pam visited on 30th Jun 2023 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 4 Access: 5
TheCaptain visited on 12th May 2022 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 5 A day to Scarborough from York, so made sure of a visit to this and Wetwang on the way. I was expecting to be slightly disappointed after all the French monster menhirs I have seen, but in actuality I was impressed. Its huge, and obviously well shaped. Only disappointment is the metal hat, and that its "caged" in the churchyard, rather than being wild and free. Also another small stone and cist grave in the corner of the churchyard. Lovely.
drolaf visited on 15th May 2017 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 short walk from road by church
SumDoood visited on 24th Mar 2017 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 I visited at sunset 24 March and on the next day's sunrise. Some background reading on the area will help the visitor to appreciate the very considerable importance of this stone within the wider environment. I recommend "Inscribed Across the Landscape - The Cursus Enigma" by Roy Loveday.
cactus_chris visited on 28th Apr 2016 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 5
cactus_chris visited on 28th Sep 2015 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 5
kthdsn visited on 24th May 2014 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 4 Access: 5
BrownEdger visited on 12th Apr 2014 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Awesome!
Majick123 visited on 17th Jun 2013 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 In my mind, not as impressive as the Devils Arrows in Boroughbridge, However this is a Massive Stone, and the Pictures taken really doesn't show the sheer vastness of the stone!
It really would have been an amazing place to be when it was erected, standing on top of the hill, looking all over the landscape with the myth laden Gipsey Race stream 100 yards away.
SimonBlackmore visited on 27th Dec 2012 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Was this really dragged or carried by glaciers?
TheWhiteRider visited on 20th Jun 2012 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5
lscollinson visited on 1st Jan 2008 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Just mindblowing in its sheer height.
RedKite1985 visited on 1st Jan 2000 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5
SidT visited on 1st May 1993 - their rating: Cond: 4 My Grandfathers family were from near this area, he moved back there for his later years from Kent. He brought me and my dad to this amazing place when we visited him, I was 16, it was around the beginning of summer of 1993. I was blown away! Shocked by its size! That's Massive! I cried out in amazement. Grandad? I asked, who put this here? I don't know he says, no one does, what? how can no one know? I said. I looked at the top just below the lead and noticed grooves knowing instantly that this was rain erosion and said, how long has this been here? A long time he said, I can see that I said. What are all these graves doing right next to it? (I said angrily/upset), I know he said. They shouldn't have done that I said, this might have been important. Why has a church been built so close to it in the first place I also asked? Then I walked up and touched it, the instant my hand touched it I took a deep sharp breath in and pulled my hand straight back after feeling something, don't ask me what. I touched it again and leant on it with both hands as hard as I could then pushed myself back off it to an upright position. My Grandad said to me, What did you just do to that stone? (like I really had done something to it), I was trying to push it over I said, I knew it wouldn't go but had to check, that is 'king solid! I will never forget it.
I wouldn't have wanted to have been involved in any building on top of, moving stones of or making up any ridiculous devil stories about any place like this, never mess with anything to do with cursus's unless you want curses, is it just coincidence these two words are so similar? I think not.
BolshieBoris visited on 1st Aug 1984 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5
Alma23 visited - their rating: Cond: 5 Access: 5
Andy B visited #2 in our rundown of favourite standing stones (and pairs) in Britain
ATBlackcat Bladup coin TimPrevett rldixon Orcinus kelpie have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4.13 Ambience: 4.07 Access: 4.87
There is a smaller gritstone in the nearby cemetery, along with a slab cyst grave. An oft-quoted legend recounts how the Devil threw the stone at the church and missed.
Plan of the surrounding area showing the site of surrounding cursuses, shown up by air observation in 1962. Cursus A revealed flints and pottery sherds suggesting a late Neolithic / Early Bronze Age date, tallying with the period of greatest megalith building.
Access: In All Saints' churchyard in the village of Rudston, 8 Km West of Bridlington, a Yorkshire seaside town. Visible from the main road. Leaflet for sale in the church (With more information about the church than the stone!).
Appearance spoiled rather by protective "hat" made of lead.
The Northern Antiquarian (TNA) also features a page for this standing stone - see their entry for Rudston Monolith, East Yorkshire, which gives directions for finding this site, together with a photograph, a drawing from 1873, another from 1988, and local folklore.
Further information can be found on Pastscape">www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=79482">Pastscape Monument No. 79482 and Historic England List ID 1013621.
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
117m WNW 300° Rudston D Cursus Cursus (TA097678)
469m WSW 240° Rudston B Cursus Cursus (TA094675)
472m ENE 58° Rudston C Cursus Cursus (TA102680)
692m WSW 242° Rudston Cursus Group Cursus (TA092674)
822m NE 38° Rudston A Cursus Cursus (TA103684)
1.1km WNW 296° Rudston C Cursus Cursus (TA088682)
1.5km SE 142° Southside Mount* Round Barrow(s)
1.8km ENE 70° Greenland Fort Hillfort (TA115684)
1.9km WSW 245° Rudston B Cursus Cursus (TA081669)
1.9km S 179° Rudston Cult Centre* Ancient Village or Settlement (TA099658)
2.0km S 179° Rudston A Cursus* Cursus (TA099657)
2.2km S 191° Rudston Beacon Round Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (TA0945365617)
2.2km W 273° Rudstone Long Barrow Long Barrow (TA07586779)
2.7km E 90° Caythorpe Misc. Earthwork (TA125678)
2.9km N 359° Maidens Grave* Henge (TA09677063)
4.2km N 7° Rudston D Cursus Cursus (TA102719)
4.2km W 265° Kilham Long Barrow Long Barrow (TA056673)
4.7km NE 41° Keld Spring* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TA128714)
5.9km NW 323° Willy Howe* Round Barrow(s) (TA06167235)
6.0km S 184° St John's Well (Harpham)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TA095617)
6.4km SW 233° Gallows Hill Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TA04776379)
6.5km SSW 201° Fox Hill Tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (TA07606167)
7.0km NW 316° Ba’l Hill* Round Barrow(s) (TA048726)
7.3km NW 316° Wold Newton* Round Barrow(s) (TA04527287)
7.4km WNW 295° Paddock Hill* Henge (TA030707)
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