Cup-and-Ring Stone near Wet Withens, Derbyshire query

I know I'm probably just being lazy, but my Ladyship has just shown me a copy of an old hand-drawn map from the 1920s, whereupon, in quite clear lettering and an 'X' to show the spot, not far from the Wet Withens stone circle, Eyam Moor, there is a "Cup-and-Ring Stone". It aint on BRAC, MegPortal, TMA or even TNA! Does anyone know owt about this? Intriguingly for some perhaps.....it may be found at the Hazelford.

My nose is twitching big time! A foray is obviously needed as a scan of field-names throws a few other clues up, unknown to archaeo-records it seems.....

....Interesting............ Hazelford..........Back in the 1970s, I was mooching about in Hathersage, just up the road from Eyam Moor, and I was told that the area had hazel trees and hence hazelnuts in absolute abundance. I never saw any though.

shiny wrote:....Interesting............ Hazelford..........Back in the 1970s, I was mooching about in Hathersage, just up the road from Eyam Moor, and I was told that the area had hazel trees and hence hazelnuts in absolute abundance. I never saw any though.

We've got our own Lord Hazell hereby, he might be able to sniff some nuts out! Meanwhile I'll sniff the rocks & hope for t'best!

There's a little alarm bell ringing in my head, from years ago.

Summat about having to turn a stone on Eyam Moor over, or round, to see the marks.... Which of course should be a no no.

shiny wrote: There's a little alarm bell ringing in my head, from years ago.

Summat about having to turn a stone on Eyam Moor over, or round, to see the marks.... Which of course should be a no no.

If it aint registered, it aint a no-no. And if it weighs more than a couple can turn, we don't bother! The carving this fella's talking abaat doesn't need turning. We might have to peel back some vegetation, that's all, which we then re-lay. This is common practice amongst rock art freaks, from Beckensall downwards, misself included. The modern PC-brigade with their "never touch a thing until the professionals get out" is naive. Thankfully weren't not of that sort otherwsei we'd never locate thing!

Hey up,

The stone you mention maybe the one thats marked on the old maps of the area (on the old map website) if it is then I've searched the area several times for it but the land has been quarried in the last hundred or so years.
A bloke called Garfitt recorded something akin to a deers head on a rock but this has never been located since he found it.....again this is going back quite some time.....the cup and ring stones marked on old maps are down to him I think.
About 6 years ago the DAJ mentioned that someone found a stone with several cups on it in a cairn visible from the circle but it hadn't been checked out by those in the know......again I've searched for this but never came across it. It's possible that it was removed as most of the Peak's portable stuff always ends up in a storeroom in Weston Park Sheffield.
nice one
stu

Hi Stu -

stu wrote:The stone you mention maybe the one thats marked on the old maps of the area (on the old map website) if it is then I've searched the area several times for it but the land has been quarried in the last hundred or so years.

I think we're gonna have to get down there sometime next week - or whenever if I get rid of this effing cold! The info we have of it indicates the stone's still in existence and it appears exactly where marked also on GoogleEarth: small, but definitely in the exact spot! If you think you can get there first & have a check, get images, etc, I can sort out the 10-fig grid ref & GoogleEarth image.

stu wrote:...It's possible that it was removed as most of the Peak's portable stuff always ends up in a storeroom in Weston Park Sheffield.

Doesn't sound good if that's become standard practice down there, & not highlight the relevant data on-line to show the site-work. I've got sick of archaeo's doing that sorta thing & keeping any data "in house". I can appreciate that sorta thing occurring during site excavations, but if they've moved CRs into boxes/museums, they need to open up their info about such finds.

ttfn - Paul

Hey up,

Yeah if you let me have the reference and pics of whatever you know I'll take a look over there, wont be till wednesday or after so if you want meet up and give the area a good old festering between us then.....s.tu.andkaren@hotmail.co.uk....

nice one
stu.

Hi Stu - Not sure if we can get there on this week, though I'll email if we're gonna travel down. The grid-ref for the place is SK 22406 79318 (give or take a fraction), and the GoogleEarth image shows it as the stone "dot" 1cm left of the highlighted pin-mark. That's the same site marked on the old-map, showing up as still being there on GoogleEarth. If you get up there before us, it'd be nice to see if you get any images of the carving, assuming its legit! Fingers crossed!

Not sure if the message got back to you, but i went over the area with a fine tooth comb, and nothing, the rock in the GE image doesn't even exist on the ground. !

Believe me, i checked, checked and thrice checked, the area is totally devoid of rocks bar the enclosure walls.

Nothing, sadly, i'm 100% certain of this.

aveburyantiquarian wrote:Not sure if the message got back to you, but i went over the area with a fine tooth comb, and nothing, the rock in the GE image doesn't even exist on the ground. !

Believe me, i checked, checked and thrice checked, the area is totally devoid of rocks bar the enclosure walls.

Nothing, sadly, i'm 100% certain of this.

Damn! Wotta pity. The book that described the stone is an old walking guide by John Derry, called Across the Derbyshire Moors, first published about 100 years back. There are numerous updated editions of it, but I don't whether the old map with the highlighted carved stone is in all the subsequent reprints.

Cheers - Paul

Not all was lost, taking a direct route off the moor due to pissing rain, i came across this.



Located here.



Looks "genuine" to me, though there's no record of it.

aveburyantiquarian wrote:Not all was lost, taking a direct route off the moor due to pissing rain, i came across this....

Looks "genuine" to me, though there's no record of it.

Ooooooooohhhh......it might be. Just might be!!! I'm seeing 2 cups there - is that wot's on it? Owt more?

To be honest i was only seeing the one, though i can see what you mean when you say two.
This is the only other pic i took as it was pissing it down and i didn't want to wreck my phone, who's camera i took the pics with.
There are other cups close by, as you know, so it's possible.

aveburyantiquarian wrote:To be honest i was only seeing the one, though i can see what you mean when you say two.

I need to see it in the flesh, tbh. If Dave, Danny (& Teddy), Paul, Tricia & others were up for it, we could perhaps spend an overnite sesh on the moors there. Any takers on it? (there looks to be a coupla really good spots close by, with good fresh water supply, wood & shelter) There's plenty of megaliths & potential for new finds. We can easily avoid detection unless one of the SAS lads lives close by - in which case we'd be fine!

I'd be up for it, be happy to take people the quick route between the 3 circles and the rock art up there.