Mr Hob, you're too kind. But you have to understand it's an addiction, pure and simple. I can't rest unless I'm putting more more MORE on here. There's little choice involved.

And I share your ideas about the electromagnetic effects - or whatever. Surely there has to be 'something' about places like Simonside, to accrue all these stories. Some People might just say it's all tosh, a way of explaining things for people that don't understand Modern Science and our nice rational 21st century. But surely there's no smoke without fire? Who knows.

Now about this here Arthur. I hear there's a 2004 book by the prolific Janet Bord called Footprints in Stone (Imprints of giants, heroes, holy people, devils, monsters and supernatural beings) which sounds just the ticket. Have a see at
http://www.oxbowbooks.com/bookinfo.cfm/ID/42395;$B2$2E$A//Location/Oxbow
I haven't been able to get it through the library yet but I haven't tried very hard - could even buy the thing I suppose. So I don't know what it's like but it ought to give a wider take on the matter.

meanwhile keep on thinking and visiting.. I await with bated breath for your theories.

Here's another story; The Great chase of Twrch Tryth, the boar, took place thro Wales. He landed at Porth Cleis, which is very near st.David, and Arthur and his band of warriors and dogs, too numerous to mention chased him and his progeny all the way down thro Wales to the R.Severn, or Havren. In a new edition of the Mabingion, the notes of Lady Charlotte Guest (19th c translator are included) and she traces their path thro the naming of Arthurian sites and also one of his hunting dogs Cavall. to quote" On the Llangadack side of the Black Mountain we meet the british monarch in Pen Arthur and Coiten Arthur. The latter is one of two large rocks in the bed of the Sawdde river, said to have been flung from the summit of Pen Arthur to its present position"..
Its interesting that she also says that where Twrch Tryth crossed the R.severn at Llinlivan, another story appears, which must relate to the spring tide that travels up the river in the form of a bore, (people water ski on it, great excitement in Somerset when it appears). The story form is slightly more exaggerated,.
And goes thus, that there is a lake called Llyn Llivan near the River Severn, and that when the sea flowed the lake received all that water into it,and swallowed it as though it had been a mountain, until it overflowed its banks......
When the train tunnel that went under the Bristol channel was built in the 19th C, they broached a great spring of fresh water, pumping out thousands of gallons a day into the sea, and pumps were installed to keep it out of the tunnel, still pumped today. So the Severn must have been a very magical river, with the river Usk also emptying out into it, both rivers joining to meet the sea.

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=187346

It's not even an old rock, it's a 21st century work of art. But it's upsetting people. (In Carlisle. I don't know if that makes a difference. I've never been there so I can't comment).