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Staffordshire: Latest Posts

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Beeston Tor Cave (Cave / Rock Shelter) — Folklore

The Manifold Valley contains a series of caves which are of great interest to the geologist, the historian and the antiquarian. No one of these caves has had justice done to it from any of these sides. There has not been any persistent and systematic examination. The most thorough bit of work, was probably done by members of the Pennine Club, guided by Mr F.A. Holmes, J.P., some dozen years ago. Some days were spent in the now famous Beeston Tor cave by Messrs Holmes, Puttrell and party, and discoveries of some importance were made.

The public has had access to this cave all the time. Mr George Austin, of Grindon, told me, on Saturday last, that he took a party through part of the cave more than 40 years ago. Scores, if not hundreds, of people visited the spot during the past summer. The outer chamber shows the usual signs of the paper parcel, ginger-beer bottle tripper.

Among the villagers of Grindon and Weston, Beeston Tor and cave have an uncanny repute. In broad daylight and in company with others, many do not mind visiting the first chamber who would never dream of penetrating the inner recesses, and certainly not alone.

After spending many solitary hours in the more remote of these interior chambers, I can assure the timid that, apart from owls and bats and swarms of fluffy moths, with an occasional startled fox, there is nothing weird or frightful about these remote recesses.
The Rev. G.H. Wilson reports for the Staffordshire Sentinel, 2nd October 1924, after he found Saxon coins and jewellery in the caves here.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
11th June 2023ce

The Devil's Ring and Finger (Standing Stones) — Folklore

... Arbour Farm was next reached, and here, by the kind permission of Mr Meadows and Mr Bourne, the club visited the ancient Celtic stones known as the "Devil's Ring and Finger." There are two very large stones, one, an upright stone, grooved longitudinally, and with lateral grooves, where, possibly, arrow heads and pike heads may at some time have been sharpened, and shaped like a huge finger, represents the finger of his Satanic Majesty; and a broad flat stone, with a hole almost circular in the middle, is the ring. The stones belong probably to prehistoric times.

A local story, however, is to the effect that the stones arrived mysteriously one night after a girl had been murdered at the spot. ...
From a report of the N.S. Field Club, in the Newcastle Guardian, 22nd August 1908.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
30th May 2023ce

Kinver Camp (Promontory Fort) — Images (click to view fullsize)

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17th March 2019ce
Showing 1-10 of 433 posts. Most recent first | Next 10