Rudston Monolith

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The Rudston Monolith at over 25 feet (7.6 metres) is the tallest megalith (Standing stone) in the United Kingdom. It is situated in a churchard in the village of Rudston in North Yorkshire.

The nearest source of stone of the type the monolith is made of is ten miles from the site. There is one other smaller stone, of the same type, in the churchyard, which was once situated near the large stone. The Norman church was almost certainly intentionally built on a site which was already considered sacred, a practice which was common throught the country.

Royston "Old Yorkshire" Vol 1, by William Smith, 1891 stated that in 1861 during leveling of the church yard an additional 5 feet of the monolith was buried.

Sir William Strickland is reported to have conducted an experiment in the late 1700s determining that there was as much of the stone below ground as is visible above. Strickland found many skulls during his dig and suggest they might have been sacrificial.

The top appears to have broken off the stone. If pointed the stone would originally have been about 28 foot high above the ground. In 1773 the stone was capped in lead, this was later removed, though the stone is capped currently.

Fossilised dinosaur footprints on one side of the stone may have contributed to its importance to those who erected it.

The stone is very slender, with two large flat faces. The flat face of the stone faces the midwinter sunrise in the southeast.

Lines, created by removing soil and grass from above the turf may have been created in the area, and have been linked to the stone. There are many other earthworks in the area, including burial mounds and Cursuses.

Grid Reference: TA099658

Sources

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