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The Northern Antiquarian Forum

Archaeology, folklore & myth of Britain's pre-christian sites & heritage: stone circles, holy wells, maypoles, tombs, archaic cosmologies and human consciousness. Everyone welcome - even Southerners!


3 posters

    THE AIGGIN STONE on Blackstone Edge

    Sunbright57
    Sunbright57


    Join date : 2011-02-10
    Age : 67
    Location : Nelson - the one in Lancashire sorry to say!

    THE AIGGIN STONE on Blackstone Edge Empty THE AIGGIN STONE on Blackstone Edge

    Post  Sunbright57 Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:13 am

    OS Grid Ref SD.973171. The Aiggin Stone on Blackstone Edge is best reached via the A58 about 2 miles north-east of Littleborough. Park up near Jacob's Well or beside Stormer Hill. The well defined Roman road going up over Blackstone Edge should now be reached (on foot of course) and after about one mile the Aiggin Stone can be seen at the side of the Roman road.

    The stone stands in a flat rectangular area amidst a jumble of large recumbant stones and a cairn. The Aiggin Stone, a gritsrtone pillar, is nearly 4 feet high and has an incised cross as well as the letters I and T carved onto it. A plaque says the Aiggin Stone is a Medieval waymarker that is 600 years old. Originally it was 7 foot high but over hundreds of years it has been pushed over, or fallen over, and the lower section broken off. The stone tapers towards the top where the Latin-style cross is carved. A pointed cairn also stands here, no doubt being added to over hundreds of years by walkers traversing the ancient road between Littleborough and Ripponden high up in the Pennines.

    These marker stones or waymarkers were used for religious purposes; travellers would stop at the stone and say a prayer for a safe journey over the bleak, windswept moors. Some of these stones were even used by people carrying coffins; the coffin rested here and prayers for the dead would be recited, perhaps a stone or two placed on top of the cairn as well. The letters I and T obviously have some religious significance, possibly IN TEDIUM or 'In the Lord we trust' or 'In praise of the Lord'.

    There are other stones on the moors around Blackstone Edge: The Letter Stones to the south of here, the Hanging Rocks and Rocking Stone near the M62 motorway to mention but a few. Enjoy your walk.
    nogoodadvice
    nogoodadvice


    Join date : 2013-04-04

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    Post  nogoodadvice Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:25 pm

    cool, just found this forum searching for what the Aiggin stone was after seeing it on a walk up the roman road
    cheers for the info - here's a pic

    THE AIGGIN STONE on Blackstone Edge 529122_10151421112328005_882064577_n


    Don't know much about the things on this site but it all seems really interesting, if you could recommend any other places in the Rochdale area you think are worth checking out let me know
    Sunbright57
    Sunbright57


    Join date : 2011-02-10
    Age : 67
    Location : Nelson - the one in Lancashire sorry to say!

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    Post  Sunbright57 Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:52 pm

    That's ok thank you and what a good photo. I will let you know with regard to other sites around Rochdale.



    Update to this:-

    Hillfort (Castle Hill) at Heywood near Rochdale SD 827125.
    Ancient Cross at St Leonard's Churchyard near Rochdale SD872063.
    Celtic stone-heads and cross-head in Touchstones Museum, Rochdale.
    Stone Circle on Moors near Whitworth, Rochdale. (More information to follow).
    QDanT
    QDanT


    Join date : 2011-05-29
    Location : Earby used to be in Yorkshire

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    Post  QDanT Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:28 am

    Hi nogoodadvice,thanks for posting the photo'
    It's good to see someone on here getting out into the hills, rather than just quoting from books!
    Was that your back ? Didn't you hear the stone say "Ger'off"
    THE AIGGIN STONE on Blackstone Edge Trialtna_zpsdb22f864
    If you click the TNA next to Home on the top Grey Bar, you'll find another great place to search
    I put Rochdale in the search box on the right and it came back :-
    http://megalithix.wordpress.com/tag/rochdale/
    looking forward to more of your posts - cheers Danny
    nogoodadvice
    nogoodadvice


    Join date : 2013-04-04

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    Post  nogoodadvice Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:28 am

    haha yeah it was my back but i didn't hear the stone talking, feel a bit disrespectful now but it was the only spot where i could make a roll up without the wind blowing my rizzla papers away. Thanks alot for the info on whitworth and to you sunbright for the list of places to check out, now the weathers getting bit nicer ill make it my mission to visit these spots
    QDanT
    QDanT


    Join date : 2011-05-29
    Location : Earby used to be in Yorkshire

    THE AIGGIN STONE on Blackstone Edge Empty Too Late

    Post  QDanT Thu Apr 18, 2013 6:52 am

    nogoodadvice wrote:haha yeah it was my back but i didn't hear the stone talking, feel a bit disrespectful now but it was the only spot where i could make a roll up without the wind blowing my rizzla papers away. Thanks alot for the info on whitworth and to you sunbright for the list of places to check out, now the weathers getting bit nicer ill make it my mission to visit these spots

    "a bit disrespectful" it's Too Late for that, the Stones going to Haunt your Dreams Now !

    THE AIGGIN STONE on Blackstone Edge Rockface_zpseccc4680
    nogoodadvice
    nogoodadvice


    Join date : 2013-04-04

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    Post  nogoodadvice Thu Apr 18, 2013 7:58 am

    haha!

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