The Wainstones Natural Rock Feature View all content for The Wainstones

Refer to the above illustration The pictured inscription was found by The Rev John Graves and reporduced in his "History of Cleveland" published in 1808. He speculates that the inscription was part of the "ancient cromlech". Ord in his "The history and Antiquities of Cleveland" of 1830 comments; "If I have committed any error in the pursuit of these difficult enquiries, I shall not stand alone........ On visiting the place he found the "explanation" very simple indeed. Alas for antiquarians! and alas for Mr graves! this mystical inscription is nothing more than a simple love story, a pure true heart record carved on the trysting-stone "long, long ago2, by some rustic swain, in the presence of his confiding mistress:- R.O. 1712 WOOING T.D. "

Posted by fitzcoraldo 10th September 2002ce

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