Friday 28 January 2011

The Devils Arrows Bouroghbridge

Brenda doesn’t do “into the wilds” anymore but fancied a trip out with the weather forecast, fair (high pressure) consulting the, To Visit folder produced :- The Devils Arrows at Boroughbridge SE 39135 66416 packed some butties home made bread (Canadian whole-wheat flour with Linseeds, Poppy seeds and yellow Sultanas) and Blacksticks Blue cheese with watercress and onion. Set off via Skipton, Bolton Abbey, Blubberhouses,Ripon then down the B6265 (take note there’s no sails on the Windmill at Skelton). Found the Arrows more by luck than any signs (never saw any) nowhere to park ! Dumped the van to photograph No1
 with the A1M roaring 50 yards away
 Just taking this photo when a fancy motor pulls up “what are you Oik’s up to” Brenda puts on the cut glass county accent ( it’s OK her Yorkshire visa is up to date) to explain that we’d travelled from the other side of Skipton to photograph the stones and weren't they superb “they could smash the thing down for me, there in the way for the horse stable, but softening to Brendas accent, don’t forget to shut the gate when you leave”
I mentioned the larger Stone at Rudstone to get a Blank stare, it was almost as if she didn’t read the sign or care or realise there were two more in a line just over the road ???
 looking up at No1
 just over the road in the field another 2
 and again no footpath
 that's the A168 and the A1M just over the hedge
 passing No2 (will they knock it down when they build onto the housing estate ?)
 down to No3
 and looking back from No3 to No2 and No 1 over the road
 We were planning to have our picnic here but it seemed that unfriendly we decided to go to a Pyramid grave we knew at Sharrow just outside Ripon. As we drove back through Boroughbridge we passed a free car park and picnic area right by the river Ure complete with tables and benches, which seemed very friendly
 The wine was a Merlot from Chile, with x2 drip coffees and the butties, Brenda says "cheers" back along the B6265 to turn off for Copt Hewick then left to Sharrow. Parked at the church SE 32760 72166
 with Charles Piazzi Smyth’s pyramid gravestone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Piazzi_Smyth
 who knows who he was ?
 the plaque gives some clue
 but for me his claim for fame is instigating the 1 o’clock 25lbs cannon shot at Edinburgh castle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Castle#One_O.27Clock_Gun
 just thought I’d share cheers all Danny

4 comments:

  1. Fascinating stuff - I'm a bit flabbergasted that I've never heard before of either the Devil's Arrows or the Rudstone. It seems amazing that they are not more well known.
    Hutton Roof is well worth a look, but be prepared to get lost - the terrain is both more complex and more overgrown than Farleton Fell. I'm sure that you could find some quiet spots suitable for an epicurean repast.
    Happy tours!

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  2. Hi beatingthebounds (Mark ?),
    thanks for the reply, I wonder just how many in Boroughbridge have heard of them ? as mentioned there’s a marked lack of signs and absolutely no convenient parking but plenty of No Parking signs. It’s mentioned that there was probably 5 stones
    http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?mapref=SE391665
    2 down and 3 to go ? The largest one is in the way of a stable, and the farmer is ploughing and planting right up to the base of the middle one with a new housing estate next door ! I can see some “jobswerthy” deeming them unsafe – lets pull them down.
    It’s thought they may be tied in with the three henge complex at Thornbourgh
    http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=1292629588
    A line drawn through all three Thornborough Henges aligns on the Devils Arrows standing stones, about 14km away, and this has new planning permission to enlarge the gravel quarry next door. Heritage what Heritage they’ve only been here 5000 years ?
    Danny

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  3. how come that when I lived in the aerea never saw thngs like that?????? thats a scadal. But by the looks of it even people living right next door seem to overlook it. why is that???
    thats of course part of its charm and definitely your drive to go out looking for it. but still, its breathtaking, also those huge stone fomratios of your last mail. never heared of them who has heard of them how did you hear of them?

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