Ian Pratt
Bradford
Sunday, June 28, 2015 00:09 |
Hitching Stone
I went up to the great Hitching Stone today and was upset to find that someone had affixed a climbing rope down the west face by means of a wedge. I had hoped to obtain a photograph of the magnificence of this natural monument, only to be thwarted yet again, but this time not by inclement weather but by the thoughtless desecration of some twit. I wouldn't mind but it is easy enough to gain access to the top of the Stone and secure a climbing rope. It's not as though there aren't plenty of climbing opportunities in the immediate vicinity. I also notice that a new foothold has been carved into the rock. What next? A bronze plaque commemorating some master of the hunt?
I would have removed the offending item but I am not as young as I was, and was unsure of descending without causing myself some irritating injury. Is there anyone of a more athletic nature who could return the said Stone to its preferred natural condition? |
Robin Longbottom
Oakworth
Thursday, July 2, 2015 05:52 |
I was at the Hitching Stone on Tuesday of last week and noted the offending rope, which has been wedged in with a climbing nut. The rope is nylon and unless they are both removed they will have an indefinate life span. I am sure Sutton must have a climber or two who can sort the problem.
Whilst at the Hitching Stone I was also concerned to see that another piece of graffiti had been cut into the rock and that it is uncomfortably close to a cross moline, one of the old Sutton boundary marks. There is quite sufficient historic graffiti without adding anymore. The gamekeeper has been alerted and asked to keep an eye out for offenders with hammers and chisels.
If anyone is interested in the ancient boundary marks copies of 'Riding the Boundary of the old township of Sutton-in-Craven' are still available. There are six boundary marks on the Hitching Stone, five of them are illustrated in the book. The oldest datable mark was cut about 1612 and at least one other may well be considerably older. |
Joan M. Tindale
Cowling
Tuesday, July 7, 2015 22:02 |
Is the Hitchingstone one of Sutton's listed buildings? If so Craven District Council should be informed about this.
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Ian Pratt
Bradford
Friday, July 10, 2015 19:36 |
It is a boundary marker and I think it's illegal to interfere with them. Unfortunately there is no protection for natural features like this. I suppose a criminal damage charge could be brought by the owner, but if they wanted to remove it it's quite legal. |
David Laycock
Melbourne Australia
Saturday, July 11, 2015 13:12 |
Further to Robin's note, I have received my copy from my Cousin John and it is an enlightening description worth purchasing. |
Joan M. Tindale
Cowling
Wednesday, July 15, 2015 16:49 |
So who does own it then? A local Cowling farmer( who shall be nameless on here) once told me he owned it! |
Robin Longbottom
Oakworth
Friday, July 24, 2015 08:20 |
The Hitching Stone is not Listed and has no official protection. The boundary marks were largely unknown and no one appears to have done a serious study of them untill Chris Riley and I undertook ours in 2013. A Yorkshire Archaeological Society group examined the boulder in the early 1980's but failed to determine any boundary marks. Crosshills Naturalist Society and the late Doris Riley were aware of some of the marks but not all of them and did not make any formal report so far as I am aware. Chris and I published our book to provide a record of the boundary stones and marks and their history. We hope that greater awareness will provide some protection.
Sorry to keep plugging it but we still have books available. |
Brenda Whitaker
Queensland Australia
Friday, July 24, 2015 22:46 |
You will be 2 or 3 fewer in about a week's time. |
Ian Pratt
Bradford
Wednesday, July 29, 2015 21:15 |
I took my info from Paul Bennett's book 'The Old Stones Of Elmet', in which he states that it was on the boundary of not only Yorkshire and Lancashire, but of the wapentakes of Skyrack and Staincliffe. It also marks the boundaries of Keighley, Sutton and Cowling (or Coling, as it was). As there are plenty of reference books listed I assume the information came from one of these, but there's no helpful indicator of which.
He also says the stone was a local moot point and the site of Lammas fairs until 1870. I take with a handful of salt the claims about Druidic activity at the site. |
Robin Longbottom
Oakworth
Thursday, July 30, 2015 17:21 |
It would appear that Paul Bennett has made an error in his book.
The Hitching Stone was not on a county boundary until 1974 when the Local Government Reorganisation Act created North and West Yorkshire out of the old West Riding of Yorkshire. The newly created counties have obviously caused some confusion. It was never and still isn't on the boundary with Lancashire.
With regard to the wapentake of Staincliffe, Sutton, Cowling and Keighley all fall within this wapentake. Cowling and the old Keighley Boroughs western boundaries border onto the Blackburn Hundred (a Hundred being the equivalent of the Yorkshire Wapentake). The upper reaches of Keighleys River Worth, which rises above Two Laws at Watersheddles is the boundary between Staincliffe and the wapentake of Morley. The wapentake of Skyrack (Leeds) borders Staincliffe along the old Bingley Parish boundary, which included Marley, Hainworth, Cross Roads and Lees.
With regard to Lammas fairs - the area around the Hitching Stone would appear to be a highly unsuitable location for a fair, particularly as there are large areas of bog and very rough moorland. Lammas fairs were associated with harvest festivals and normally took place in towns and villages. However, there is an oral tradition that horse races once took place in the locality and a nearby farm is called Fairplace. Fair could, of course, simply mean 'fine' or 'good' and be nothing to do with Lammas or country fairs. I would be inclined to take up your handful of salt on this one, until someone produces some reliable contemporary evidence.
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Terry Longbottom
Valley
Friday, July 31, 2015 09:55 |
For Joan W, can we consider The Hitching Stone on a par with York belonging to none but part of all three Ridings. Then it would require some form of legislature with a High sheriff/Mayor to oversee the day to day requisites
I therefore propose Joan W Tindall to this position henceforth to be known as.
Joan of the Stone.
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Joan M. Tindale
Cowling
Saturday, August 1, 2015 21:47 |
Hahah - enough going on up here at the moment - a type of Glastonbury Festival going on at Black Lane Ends - can be heard all over the village - all of this afternoon until 2 a.m.? Looking for the earplugs and the gin! |
Ian Pratt
Bradford
Wednesday, August 5, 2015 21:03 |
I think I have to agree with you Robin, but it's still a useful reference book which identifies many old stones, although I have to wonder whether the importance of some comes more from wishful thinking. He describes himself as a wizard and was in the habit of righting fallen standing stones, or so he thought them, and reconstructing stone circles, which were probably the remains of cairns. He also mentions the Winter Stone near to the Hitchingstone which marks the solstice and has some cup carvings on it. I haven't looked for that one.
Although horse racing was quite common in the area I would not want to run a race across that moorland. Perhaps the idea came from the name of the stone. Although place names are ancient and can tell us a lot about the culture and beliefs of our long fathers, I have not been able to find any possible meaning to the word 'hitching'. There used to be another great boulder nearby called the Quicken Stone, broken up for walling long ago. There is a Quicken Hole at the head of Lumb Clough. I wonder where that name came from.
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Paul Wilkinson
webmaster
Thursday, August 6, 2015 08:56 |
Any thoughts on the "bath" in the Hitching Stone?
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Terry Longbottom
Valley
Sunday, August 9, 2015 18:59 |
Hi Paul. If that is a photo of the new foothold, then there may be some foundation in the rumours of Witches & Giants connected with the stone. |
