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Longstone (East Worlington)

Standing Stone / Menhir

<b>Longstone (East Worlington)</b>Posted by jimitImage © Jimit 16.6.03
Nearest Town:South Molton (11km NW)
OS Ref (GB):   SS775159 / Sheet: 180
Latitude:50° 55' 44.18" N
Longitude:   3° 44' 35.99" W

Added by pure joy

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<b>Longstone (East Worlington)</b>Posted by jimit <b>Longstone (East Worlington)</b>Posted by jimit <b>Longstone (East Worlington)</b>Posted by jimit <b>Longstone (East Worlington)</b>Posted by jimit

Fieldnotes

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Felt rather sorry for this stone as it is miles from any (known) companion and is leaning badly. Asked at the local farm for permission to walk on their land and was asked for a contribution to the Devon Air Ambulance Service! Pretty cool and no prob. The farmer said that a dowser had found several lines emanating from it but was a bit vague about the details.
There are simple crosses carved near the top on all four faces and the top. I couldn't see or photograph this as the top of the stone, even in its leaning condition, is 2M+ in height but it can be felt easily enough. The crosses are just two lines at right angles but do I detect a circle round the one on the W face?
The stone doesn't seem to have been worked, except for the top which is fairly flat. To judge by the debris in the field, the local stone may split naturally into this form.
BTW. The stone is about 50M to the W. of the location shown on Streetmap, across the road somewhere about the "g" of "Long Stone".

Disabled: Parking on verge opposite stone. Field was/is ploughed.
jimit Posted by jimit
1st June 2003ce
Edited 8th December 2003ce

Folklore

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"The Long Stone, East Worlington: dropped by the Devil when he heard the bells of East Worlington church. (Hill, H. A., 1910: Quotidian Quotations: the East Worlington Kalendar for 1910)."

from
Notes on the Folklore of Prehistoric Sites in Britain
L. V. Grinsell
Folklore, Vol. 90, No. 1. (1979), pp. 66-70.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
15th October 2006ce

Folklore says it was thrown here by the Devil and now cannot be moved; it has proved impossible to shift, even when using horses. pure joy Posted by pure joy
19th March 2003ce

Miscellaneous

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This longstone apparently has 5 crosses carved on it, one on the top and one on each side. This was presumably done to Christianise the stone. pure joy Posted by pure joy
19th March 2003ce