If there is an alignment with Almscliffe Crags it must be purely coincidental - as this stone is naturally placed - and so are the crags!
Looking at the carving it appears that it could be directed at the Crags but there again the Crags are the only obvious feature on the landscape and so it is easy to believe the carving is "pointing" to it - when it may just be coincidence.
A magnificent boulder, must be 10 feet high!
We parked at the junction of the A61 and the tiny road from Wike village. A place frequented occasionally by car thieves so lock up your valuables if you leave it there!
Over the dicey A61, avoiding mental speed-freaks, takes you through the grand gateway into the Harewood estate…
The rock itself is isolated, standing alone in a north facing field, bounded by woodland.
The views northwards are far-reaching, Almscliffe Crag being easily seen and in direct line with the spiral carving on the north-western face of the rock. It seems to be seven concentric rings, though they are now very indistinct… Graeme Chappell reports on his excellent website that the midwinter full moon would set behind Almscliff Crag at the major lunar standstill when viewed from here, around 1800 B.C.!
Harewood- the nearest village and stately home - may actually be named after this stone.
According to John Gilleghan's "Highways and Byways from Leeds":
"flints and an axe from 1500/2000 BC have been found in this area".
"It has been suggested that the word Harewood has been derived from Grey Stones Wood as Harawuda - Hara Stanes Wudu - means a wood by the stones. The area was known as Hareuuode in the Domesday Book - in Old English "haer" meant stony ground and "har" meant grey."
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