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

       

Mother Cap Stone

Natural Rock Feature

<b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by Kozmik_KenImage © Andy H
Nearest Town:Dronfield (10km E)
OS Ref (GB):   SK252805 / Sheet: 110
Latitude:53° 19' 13.69" N
Longitude:   1° 37' 17.96" W

Added by stubob


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<b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by Kozmik_Ken <b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by Kozmik_Ken <b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by Kozmik_Ken <b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by Kozmik_Ken <b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by Kozmik_Ken <b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by Kozmik_Ken <b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by Kozmik_Ken <b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by stubob <b>Mother Cap Stone</b>Posted by stubob

Fieldnotes

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I have developed a bit of a fascination with Mother Cap recently!

Considering the history of Hathersage Moor and it's conspicuous positioning, I thought that a bit of research may be called for. I came across a piece of information (probably StuBob's notes) that suggests that Mother Cap may have been used as a marker for much of the prehistoric activity in the surrounding hills and was possibly illuminated by fire at night.

This caught my imagination and I thought it may be fun to try to recreate how the massive outcrop may have looked by firelight (of course not wanting to set half of the moor on fire, I used a 5 million candle power torch). So on Tuesday night, I found myself trudging up the lower slopes of Over Owler Tor by the light of a brilliant full moon. Over Owler is an odd place at the best of times, a bit of a geologist's playground with rocks worn into all manner of strange shapes. But by moonlight it is amazing!

The exposures were about two and a half minutes at f8 to catch the colours in the sky, with short blasts from the torch to fill areas of the rock in. Some shots look as if the light is coming from within the rock. The moon is dropped in from a different exposure as the long exposures blew it out to a non-descript glare.
Kozmik_Ken Posted by Kozmik_Ken
20th April 2009ce

Easy access from the 'Surprise View' car park.
The stone marks the Mid-Winter full moon rise minimum when viewed from 'Wet Withers'. Several books mention that fires may have been lit behind the stone to help with the alignment.
stubob Posted by stubob
2nd May 2002ce