Standing stone 470m north east of High Farm, known as Wade's Stone

Reasons for Designation

Standing stones are prehistoric ritual or ceremonial monuments with dates ranging from the Late Neolithic to the end of the Bronze Age for the few excavated examples. They comprise single or paired upright orthostatic slabs, ranging from under lm to over 6m high where still erect. They are often conspicuously sited and close to other contemporary monument classes. They can be accompanied by various features: many occur in or on the edge of round barrows, and where excavated, associated subsurface features have included stone cists, stone settings, and various pits and hollows filled in with earth containing human bone, cremations, charcoal, flints, pots and pot sherds. Similar deposits have been found in excavated sockets for standing stones, which range considerably in depth. Several standing stones also bear cup and ring marks. Standing stones may have functioned as markers for routeways, territories, graves, or meeting points, but their accompanying features show they also bore a ritual function and that they form one of several ritual monument classes of their period that often contain a deposit of cremation and domestic debris as an integral component. No national survey of standing stones has been undertaken, and estimates range from 50 to 250 extant examples, widely distributed throughout England but with concentrations in Cornwall, the North Yorkshire Moors, Cumbria, Derbyshire and the Cotswolds. Standing stones are important as nationally rare monuments, with a high longevity and demonstrating the diversity of ritual practices in the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age. Consequently all undisturbed standing stones and those which represent the main range of types and locations would normally be considered to be of national importance.

Despite limited disturbance the standing stone 470m north east of High Farm, known as Wade's Stone, survives well. Significant information about the construction of the monument and the nature of the rituals associated with its use will be preserved within the stone socket and surrounding area. The standing stone lies in an area where there is a concentration of prehistoric burial monuments as well as further standing stones. Associated groups of monuments such as this offer scope for the study of developing ritual practice during the prehistoric period. This stone is particularly important because of its prominence in the landscape and because of its continued focus for ritual activity beyond the prehistoric period.

Details

The monument includes a standing stone situated in a prominent position on a ridge at the north edge of the North York Moors. The standing stone is roughly cut into a rectangular shape which leans very slightly to the north. It stands up to 2m high and measures up to 0.75m by 0.6m in section. The top of the stone is weathered. The stone stands in the centre of a hollow up to 3m across and 0.3m deep which has been eroded by stock. Several small and medium sized stones are visible in the hollow and these would have been part of the packing around the standing stone to support it when it was set in the ground. Small scale excavation in the early 1900s to the immediate east of the standing stone uncovered a later burial accompanied by an iron spearhead, interpreted as Anglian in date. The standing stone is situated in an area which includes many prehistoric burial monuments as well as further standing stones.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

32481

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Spratt, D A, Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology in North East Yorkshire in Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology of North East Yorkshire, Vol. 87, (1993)

Other
7403,

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