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

     

The Devil's Stone

Standing Stones

<b>The Devil's Stone</b>Posted by hamishImage © Mike Murray
Also known as:
  • Compton Bishop Stones

Nearest Town:Weston-Super-Mare (11km WNW)
OS Ref (GB):   ST409548 / Sheet: 182
Latitude:51° 17' 19.36" N
Longitude:   2° 50' 51.37" W

Added by Rhiannon


Discussion Topics0 discussions
Start a topic



Show map   (inline Google Map)

Images (click to view fullsize)

Add an image Add an image
<b>The Devil's Stone</b>Posted by hamish <b>The Devil's Stone</b>Posted by hamish <b>The Devil's Stone</b>Posted by hamish

Fieldnotes

Add fieldnotes Add fieldnotes
Visited 7.4.12

Ha, ha……success!
3rd time lucky!

No wonder I couldn’t see the stone before with the field in crop.
It is only about a metre tall and quite difficult to spot in an empty field!

Luckily the weather has been dry of late so it didn’t get too messy walking over the ploughed earth. The stone is largely covered in white lichen.

Not much to merit a visit but just glad I actually managed to see it.
Whatever you do, come before the crop grows!!
Posted by CARL
10th April 2012ce

As Dick Dastardly would say 'drat, drat and double drat!'.
Crops not harvested so still no sign of stone.
I will return................
Posted by CARL
12th September 2011ce

Visited 22.7.11

Apparently this stone is 4ft in height.
Unfortunately the crop was 6ft in height!
Needless to say I couldn't see anything; despite climbing to the top of the field gate.

One to re-visit once the crops have been harvested me-thinks!
Posted by CARL
26th July 2011ce

Popped over here after Deer leap.Climb over field gate on right after farm, the stone is in about 50mtrs distant. I looked over to Shute Shelve hill and there are about half way up two interesting looking stones, another visit maybe. hamish Posted by hamish
10th April 2003ce
Edited 10th April 2003ce

Folklore

Add folklore Add folklore
information from Phil Quinn's article in Third Stone 25:

Francis Knight, in his 1915 book 'The Heart of Mendip' tells how there was once a famous strongman in the region. The devil got fed up hearing of his exploits and decided to challenge him to a match of strength. The two contestants and all the local people gathered on Shute Shelve Hill. The devil hurled a huge stone with all his might down into the Vale of the Axe below. When the strongman's turn came, his stone went much further, and landed just east of Lower Weare.

unfortunately his recounting of the story stops here, but I'd like to think the devil got very angry and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

whatever, it seems that the strongman's stone was removed before Francis's retelling, and its exact site is unclear. The devil's stone still remains, in a pasture south of Bourton Lane in the hamlet of Cross. It is about 4ft high, and Quinn claims the shape of its top echos the shape of nearby Winscombe Hill (and Crook Peak?) - though you'll have to go check that for yourself.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
4th December 2002ce
Edited 19th March 2004ce

Miscellaneous

Add miscellaneous Add miscellaneous
Aubrey Burl classifies this stone as a pair (2 little stones, 1 pros."thrown by the devil" - Grinsell 1976) in Carnac to Callanish, though he only saw one stone and was unimpressed by its small proportion and lack of orientation, still it might be something else . moss Posted by moss
21st September 2004ce

A standing stone, "perhaps of no great antiquity", about 4ft high. {1}

An upright block of conglomerate 1.3m high and 0.5m by 0.6m in section. Possibly a comparatively modern rubbing stone. The field has been drained by a series of late or post medieval broad furrows dividing the area into plots The stone stands in one of the plots and it seems unlikely that such an obstruction would have survived any arable farming. {2}

Folklore suggests that this is one of two stones thrown by the Devil from Shute Shelve in a contest. {3}

References:
1 Mention - Knight, F.A 1915 "Heart of Mendip", 332-3
2 Detailed records - Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division 1966 ST45SW1 SCPD
3 Mention - Grinsell, L.V 1976 "Folklore of Prehistoric sites in Britain", 99

Record created by:
David Fraser in February 1983

© Copyright Somerset County Council 2003

With thanks to the Somerset Museums Service for providing the link to this site.
jimit Posted by jimit
14th November 2003ce