Great Stone of Fourstones

The Great Stone of Fourstones

The Great Stone of Fourstones
Location
Location Bentham, North Yorkshire

The Great Stone of Fourstones, or the "Big Stone" as it is known locally, is a glacial deposit on the moorlands of Tatham Fells, situated 10 m into North Yorkshire, across the county border from Lancashire, at Bentham in the District of Craven.

The name suggests that there were once four stones, but now there is only one. The other three were possibly broken up for scythe sharpening stones,[1] or building stone, centuries ago. Large stones such as this were useful as boundary markers in the open countryside, and this one was used as a boundary marker for the Lancashire-Yorkshire boundary between Tatham and Benham parishes. [2]

A local myth tells of how the stone was dropped by the devil, on his way to build Devil's Bridge at nearby Kirkby Lonsdale. [3]

The stone has 15 steps carved into the side of it to allow access to the top. It is not known when they were carved, but they are well worn from years of use.

References

  1. ^ Text on Geograph record
  2. ^ Winchester, Angus J. L. (2nd ed. 2000). Discovering Parish Boundaries. Shire Publications. p. 53. ISBN 978-0747804703. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qnMTJSopIYQC&pg=PA53&dq=%22Great+Stone%22+of+Fourstones&hl=en&ei=ukpaTr7tFdDA8QODzoGODA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Great%20Stone%22%20of%20Fourstones&f=false. 
  3. ^ Lofthouse, Jessica (1976). North-country folklore in Lancashire, Cumbria and the Pennine Dales. Robert Hale. p. 52. ISBN 978-0709153450. 

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Great_Stone_of_Fourstones Great Stone of Fourstones] at Wikimedia Commons