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| This
is an odd looking stone that stands within the birch wood just above Gardom's
Edge and about 200 metres north of the Gardom's Edge carved rock panel. Standing over a metre and a half high its sharply tilted appearance changes depending on which angle it is viewed from, from one it appears like a giant triangular fin, from another it appears slender, while its top is hollowed out by heavy weathering. The most interesting aspect though is the one shown in the picture above. From here it takes on the appearance of a demonic head with nose, mouth and deep set eyes - was this the reason why this stone was chosen to the erected here? Did it form a tribal totem or guardian figure? It is tempting to speculate that the Bronze Age population of the area may have even used red ochre and charcoal to enhance these features although of course we will probably never know. See also the 'Old Wife's Neck' standing stone in North Yorkshire. Update: 2012 - 4000 Year Old Stone Monolith Likely an Astronomical Marker - Story from Space.com suggesting that the stone was set up as an astronomical marker. Other Gardom's Edge sites: Carved Rock , Enclosure (Meg's Wall), Pit Alignment Ring Cairn, Round House, Three Men of Gardom's |
 The stone looks totally different depending on the viewing angle. |
