Wade’s Stone (South) forum 2 room
Image by David Raven
Wade’s Stone (South)

The Giant has fallen :-(

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StoneGloves S
StoneGloves Mar 25, 2008 06:41:54
Replying to David Raven

There's a chance it'll get re-erected if you get on the case and 'don't let it drop'. It looks to me as though it's been pulled by the farmer. That would explain the herbicided strip and the packing stones being scattered. If you can get back with four tentpegs mark the corners of the hole the stone was sat in - that'll give you the original position further down the line when that hole has eroded. If the stone's scheduled as an Ancient Monument then it's E.H. you need to get in touch with and if it's just on the SMR then it's the County Archaeologist. The stone and site will be owned by the farmer and he is the first contact - obviously he doesn't know it's a valuable object. And when you phone the officials be prepared to be underwhelmed by their response.

F FourWinds
FourWinds Mar 25, 2008 07:01:42
Replying to StoneGloves

StoneGloves wrote:
There's a chance it'll get re-erected if you get on the case and 'don't let it drop'. It looks to me as though it's been pulled by the farmer. That would explain the herbicided strip and the packing stones being scattered. If you can get back with four tentpegs mark the corners of the hole the stone was sat in - that'll give you the original position further down the line when that hole has eroded. If the stone's scheduled as an Ancient Monument then it's E.H. you need to get in touch with and if it's just on the SMR then it's the County Archaeologist. The stone and site will be owned by the farmer and he is the first contact - obviously he doesn't know it's a valuable object. And when you phone the officials be prepared to be underwhelmed by their response.
I think a good chunk of what you said there was nonsense!

For one, it's very,very shallow and looks as if it's fallen. It does not look as if it's been pulled over. Why would you pull it over so that it fell on the crop area? If you were going to pull it over you'd pull along the unploughed strip.

Two, the packing stones would scatter with it being so shallow. Also, some of them could just be field clearance, thrown around the stone because he doesn't plough there. It doesn't look deep enough for there to have been packing stones in place. If they were there they weren't very firmly in the ground anymore.

Three, I'm sure the farmer knows that it's old ... that's why he's been ploughing round it. Whether he cares or not is a different matter and one only he knows the answer to.

Four, the tent pegs are a good idea!

Getting in touch with the county archaeo should probably be the first move. Let them speak to the farmer about standing it up. A bit of prelim excavation should be done before it's re-erected.

D David Raven
David Raven Mar 28, 2008 18:29:18
Replying to StoneGloves

StoneGloves wrote:
There's a chance it'll get re-erected if you get on the case and 'don't let it drop'... If the stone's scheduled as an Ancient Monument then it's E.H. you need to get in touch with and if it's just on the SMR then it's the County Archaeologist... And when you phone the officials be prepared to be underwhelmed by their response.
Well, after only a few days days of waiting, I got what I think is a satisfactory answer...

I emailed the Rural Archaeologist at North Yorkshire County Council. They replied immediately and informed me that the stone is not their responsibility as it's within the North Yorks Moors boundary, so it's the responsibility of the National Park authorities. They did suggest I let them know, and also inform English Heritage as the stone is a Scheduled Monument.

So I emailed both organisations.

Today I received an email from Graham Lee; the Senior Archaeological Conservation Officer for the North York Moors National Park Authority. He said:-

"Thank you for your report. Yes, it is a scheduled monument and we are fully aware of the situation. However, Scheduled Monument Consent & an excavation to record the site will be required before it can be re-erected. The process has been started but will take a while to complete."


So... Here's hoping! :D


English Heritage haven't replied yet.

Cheers
Dave

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