About Rudston Monolith
The Rudston Monolith at over 7. 6m is the tallest megalith (standing stone) in the United Kingdom. It is situated in the churchyard in the village of Rudston in the East Riding of Yorkshire. DescriptionThe stone is slender, with two large flat faces. It is approximately wide, and just under one metre thick. The top appears to have broken off the stone. If pointed, the stone would originally have stood about 8. 5m. In 1773, the stone was capped in lead; this was later removed, though the stone is currently capped. The weight is estimated at 40 tonnes. The monolith is made of gritstone. The nearest source for the stone (Cayton or Cornelian Bay) is 16km north of the site, although it may have been brought naturally to the site as a glacial erratic. The monument dates to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age period. A possible fossilised dinosaur footprint is said to be on one side of the stone, though a study by English Heritage in 2015 concluded that this claim was unsubstantiated. 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 that was already considered sacred, a practice common through the country – indeed the name of Rudston is thought to come from the Old English "Rood-stane", meaning "cross-stone", implying that a stone already venerated was adapted for Christian purposes.
Rudston Monolith Description
The Rudston Monolith at over 7. 6m is the tallest megalith (standing stone) in the United Kingdom. It is situated in the churchyard in the village of Rudston in the East Riding of Yorkshire. DescriptionThe stone is slender, with two large flat faces. It is approximately wide, and just under one metre thick. The top appears to have broken off the stone. If pointed, the stone would originally have stood about 8. 5m. In 1773, the stone was capped in lead; this was later removed, though the stone is currently capped. The weight is estimated at 40 tonnes. The monolith is made of gritstone. The nearest source for the stone (Cayton or Cornelian Bay) is 16km north of the site, although it may have been brought naturally to the site as a glacial erratic. The monument dates to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age period. A possible fossilised dinosaur footprint is said to be on one side of the stone, though a study by English Heritage in 2015 concluded that this claim was unsubstantiated. 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 that was already considered sacred, a practice common through the country – indeed the name of Rudston is thought to come from the Old English "Rood-stane", meaning "cross-stone", implying that a stone already venerated was adapted for Christian purposes.