The Andle Stone

Accompanied... by one of the hospitable family of the Thornhills, I gladly availed myself of the opportunity of traversing Stanton Moor. From the front of the house [Stanton House], an insulated stone of immense magnitude is seen in the line of the horizon, where it is a prominent object from every point of view around it, and may be regarded as an excellent land-mark for all who wish to visit this interesting district... We soon attained the eminence distinguished by the huge stone that attracted my attention. In the neighbourhood it is known by the name of Andle Stone, though Major Rooke has given this appellation to one of far inferior dimensions, which stands on that same plane, about half a mile nearer the brow of the hill that overlooks Darley Dale. Andle Stone is a large block of unhewn sandstone grit, which appears to be inserted, but not deeply, in the earth: its surface is but little marked with fissures or indentations; the square of its sides is from seven to eight yards, and its extreme height about eighteen feet. Several other insulated stones of a similar description occupy the same high range of ground: how they were originally placed there, and for what purposes they were designed, can only be conjectured.