The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Hurdle Stone

Natural Rock Feature

Folklore

Is this a genuine site? It merits a place in the Somerset sites and monuments record. Their website info says:
"In Hurdlestone Wood is a very erect large boulder of millstone grit, in a line with several but smaller ones. It measures about 18ft by 4ft by 20ft high and seems to have been placed on end artificially, though perhaps in the course of quarrying. The group seems to have been given the name "The Hurlers" and the large stone "The Hurdle Stone", though these could be inventions of Skinner who first drew attention to the group [c.1820]. H.E Balch compares the big stone to a stone at Avebury. "

They are also mentioned in the lavishly-illustrated 'Reader's Digest Folklore Myths and Legends of Britain' - they are the result of a game of quoits between the giant of Grabbist and the Devil. Predictably the devil started cheating (well, what can you expect?) so the giant picked him up by his tail and hurled him into the Bristol Channel. There's another story that suggests it was thrown from Redhill.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
10th March 2005ce
Edited 2nd August 2005ce

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