Devil's Arrows
{{short description|Standing stones near Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox ancient site
|name = The Devil's Arrows
|native_name =
|alternate_name =
|image = Devilsarrowsrow.jpg
|caption =
|alt = A line of three large standing stones
|location = Near Boroughbridge and Harrogate
|region = North Yorkshire, England
|coordinates = {{coord|54|5|34.53|N|1|24|13.25|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|type = Standing stones
|material = Gritstone
|epochs = Late Neolithic or early Bronze Age
|public_access =
|condition = Largely intact
|website =
}}
The Devil's Arrows are three standing stones or menhirs in an alignment approximately {{convert|200|m|order=flip}} to the east of the A1(M), adjacent to Roecliffe Lane, Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire, England, near to where the A1 road now crosses the River Ure ({{gbmapping|SE390666}}). They have been designated as a scheduled monument since 1923.{{NHLE |num=1014705 |desc=Stone alignment west of Boroughbridge known as the Devil's Arrows, including three standing stones and the setting for a fourth |access-date=24 November 2020}}
Site
Erected in prehistoric times and distinctively grooved by millennia of rainfall, the tallest stone is {{convert|6.85|m|ft|order=flip}} in height, making this the tallest menhir in the United Kingdom after the {{convert|7.6|m|ft|order=flip}} tall Rudston Monolith in the East Riding of Yorkshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.brigantesnation.com/SiteResearch/BronzeAge/devilsarrows/DevilsArrows.htm|title=Brigantes Nation Site Report The Devil's Arrows|access-date=18 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421122553/http://www.brigantesnation.com/SiteResearch/BronzeAge/devilsarrows/DevilsArrows.htm|archive-date=21 April 2008|url-status=dead}} The other two stones are {{convert|6.7|m|ft|order=flip}} and {{convert|5.5|m|ft|order=flip}} tall respectively. It is thought that the alignment originally included up to five stones. William Camden mentions four stones in his Britannia, noting that "one was lately pulled down by some that hoped, though in vain, to find treasure."{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/text/chap_page.jsp?t_id=Camden&c_id=25&p_id=11621#pn_87|title=Brigantes|access-date=25 November 2012|work=A Vision of Britain Through time|publisher=University of Portsmouth and others}} One was apparently displaced during a failed 'treasure hunt' during the 18th century and later used as the base for a nearby bridge over a river. The stones are composed of millstone grit, the most likely source of which is Plumpton Rocks two miles south of Knaresborough, and about nine miles from where the stones stand today.{{cite web|url=http://www.boroughbridge.org.uk:80/process/17/DevilsArrows.html|publisher=Boroughbridge Town Council|title=Devil's Arrows|access-date=18 February 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215213910/http://www.boroughbridge.org.uk/process/17/DevilsArrows.html|archive-date=15 February 2008}}
The outer stones are {{convert|110|and|60|m|ft|order=flip}} away from the central stone and form an almost straight, running NNW–SSE. It is thought that they may have been arranged to align with the southernmost summer moonrise. The stones are part of a wider Neolithic complex on the Ure-Swale plateau which incorporates the Thornborough Henges.
Name
File:Devil's Arrows, Boroughbridge - geograph.org.uk - 361151.jpg
The name is mentioned by John Aubrey who visited and drew the stones in 1687.John Aubrey, Bodleian MS Top. Gen. C24 fol. 70r There is a legend, which goes back to 1721, that says the Devil threw the stones, aiming at the next town of Aldborough. He stood on Howe Hill and shouted, "Borobrigg keep out o' way, for Aldborough town I will ding down!". However, the stones fell short and landed near Boroughbridge instead.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
- {{Megalithic Portal|60}}
External links
{{Commons category|Devil's Arrows}}
- [http://www.megalithia.com/sites/se391665.html The Devil's Arrows at Megalithia.com]
- [http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/339/devils_arrows.html The Devil's Arrows at The Modern Antiquarian]
{{European Standing Stones}}
Category:History of North Yorkshire
Category:Megalithic monuments in England
Category:Stone Age sites in England
Category:Buildings and structures in North Yorkshire
Category:Tourist attractions in North Yorkshire
Category:Archaeological sites in North Yorkshire
Category:Bronze Age sites in North Yorkshire