6. The Hitchingstone

The Hitchingstone is said to be the largest solitary boulder in Yorkshire. It is a huge stone made up of millstone grit. Its weight has been estimated at about 1060 tons, it cubical contents being about 15,100 cu. ft.

In times past it had several companion stones, but only three are left now. The others have been quarried for building purposes. The standing stones are:- the Hitchingstone, the Kidstone and the Winter Hill Stone. The names of the missing boulders - the Buckstone, the Navax Stone and the Quicken Stone.

There is a hole running through the Hitchingstone which is evidently the mould of a tree which was laid down when the stone was being formed ages ago.

There is a story about the Hitchingstone. Once upon a time on Rumble's Moor there lived an old witch. Before her door was an enormous rock. She conceived a great distaste for its presence there. Day by day this feeling grew stronger. Curses and maledictions had no effect upon this rock. Every evening she reviled it - and every morning it was still standing gloomily before her door. One day, in desperation, she seized her broomstick, put it in the hole already mentioned, then exerting all her strength, she lifted it, and "hitched" the whole mass across the valley from behind Silsden, over Steeton, Eastburn and Sutton, to the place where it now stands.

On the West of the rock is a square hole evidently hewn out by man, this is known as the Priests Chair. On the South is a large hole, on three sides this is enclosed by the higher part of the rock, on the fourth it is open to a ledge of rock. This hole contained water about five or six feet deep. Some local men who are interested, had often thought, that if this hole was cleared out, there might be some remains found. A year or two ago they worked and after a time emptied the hole. They were disappointed however, because they found nothing except a few stones.

The Druids are said to have carried on their ceremonies at the Hitchingstone and on the Crag overlooking the valley. One of the place names on the moor is "Groves", this seems to point to the truth of the tradition.

On the Crag is the trilithion, which has evidently been used for sun worship. On the longest day of summer the first rays of the sun as it rises over the hill across the valley, fall directly on the arch formed by the altar stone and its supports.