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Cup and Ring marked rock known as the Hanging Stone Rock

A Scheduled Monument in Ilkley, Bradford

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Coordinates

Latitude: 53.9168 / 53°55'0"N

Longitude: -1.8063 / 1°48'22"W

OS Eastings: 412819.902865

OS Northings: 446761.726299

OS Grid: SE128467

Mapcode National: GBR HRT4.RN

Mapcode Global: WHC8P.7T34

Entry Name: Cup and Ring marked rock known as the Hanging Stone Rock

Scheduled Date: 17 October 1930

Last Amended: 11 July 1995

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1012008

English Heritage Legacy ID: 25362

County: Bradford

Civil Parish: Ilkley

Built-Up Area: Ilkley

Traditional County: Yorkshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): West Yorkshire

Church of England Parish: Ben Rhydding St John the Evangelist

Church of England Diocese: Leeds

Details

The monument includes a fissured gritstone outcrop, c.10m x 20m. It is
situated at Hanging Stone Quarry on a plinth of unquarried rock overlooking
Ilkley and the Wharfe Valley.
The carving, which covers a considerable area, consists of a mixture of
carvings in the cup and ring tradition and more recent graffiti, including a
very ornate `celtic' design.
The grid reference by Global Positioning System is: SE1281546759.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Rombalds Moor is an eastern outlier of the main Pennine range lying between
the valleys of the Wharfe and the Aire. The bulk of this area of 90 sq km of
rough moorland lies over 200m above sea level. The moor is particularly rich
in remains of prehistoric activity. The most numerous relics are the rock
carvings which can be found on many of the boulders and outcrops scattered
across the moor. Burial monuments, stone circles and a range of enclosed
settlements are also known.
Prehistoric rock carving is found on rock outcrops in several parts of upland
Britain with one of the densest concentrations on Rombalds Moor. The most
common form of decoration is the `cup and ring' mark in which expanses of
small cup-like hollows, which may be surrounded by one or more `rings', are
pecked into the surface of the rock. Other shapes and patterns, including some
dominated by grooves or lines, are also known. Carvings may occur singly or in
small groups, or may cover extensive areas of rock surface. They are believed
to date to the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods (c.2800-500 BC) and
provide one of our most important insights into prehistoric `art'. The exact
meaning of the designs remains unknown, but they have been interpreted as
sacred or religious symbols. Frequently they are found close to contemporary
burial monuments. All positively identified prehistoric rock carving sites
exhibiting a significant group of designs have been identified as nationally
important.

The carvings on this rock survive well and it will contribute to an
understanding of the wider grouping of carved rocks.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Hedges, J D (ed), The Carved Rocks on Rombalds Moor, (1986), 1st

Source: Historic England

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