‘The Ancient British Druidical Logan or Rocking Stone‘

A couple of weeks ago I posted about the ‘Immense Landslip’ of 1872 on White Hill.

And in that post I quoted from a newspaper article which suggesting paying a visit to ‘The Ancient British Druidical Logan or Rocking Stone‘ when viewing the landslip; ‘only distant a few hundred yards‘¹Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. (2022). Immense Landslip On | Daily Gazette For Middlesbrough | Monday 24 June 1872 | British Newspaper Archive. Available online at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000486/18720624/015/0003 [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022]..

I racked my brain trying to locate this stone, and the only contender that I’ve come up with is amongst this jumble of boulders 75m below the Wainstones themselves. The rocks today were wet from a downpour so I hesitated about testing for any rocking.

Fustratingly, I have not found much written about rocking stones in the vicinity. Just a couple of reports from 1930s/40s cycle touring clubs, who favoured storing their cycles in Great Broughton and walking up to the ‘Rocking Stones’ on foot²Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. (2022). Postponed | Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail | Tuesday 14 April 1942 | British Newspaper Archive. [online] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000378/19420414/017/0001 [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022].³Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. (2022). Btr Anton Club. | Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail | Tuesday 03 October 1933 | British Newspaper Archive. [online] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000378/19331003/164/0007 [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022]..

A ‘logan stone‘ is just another name for a stone that is so precariously balanced that it rocks. It’s probably derived from the Old English dialect word ‘log‘, meaning to rock⁴Wikipedia Contributors (2021). Rocking stone. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocking_stone#Name [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022]..

The ‘Ancient British Druidical‘ is a typical Victorian antiquarian description when dealing with anything pre-Roman.

Actually the centre-piece of the jumble of rocks, a giant lying at 45°, has very visible pre-historic carvings — a single serpentine groove, 2.5m long, with deep peck marks⁵North York Moors Historical Environment Record No: 22929.

In many parts the country, there are myths and folklore associated with rocking stones, stories of witchcraft and having healing properties⁶Wikipedia Contributors (2021). Rocking stone. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocking_stone#Beliefs [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022]..

But has any of these stones ever rocked?

• 1
  Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. (2022). Immense Landslip On | Daily Gazette For Middlesbrough | Monday 24 June 1872 | British Newspaper Archive. Available online at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000486/18720624/015/0003 [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022].
• 2
  Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. (2022). Postponed | Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail | Tuesday 14 April 1942 | British Newspaper Archive. [online] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000378/19420414/017/0001 [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022].
• 3
  Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. (2022). Btr Anton Club. | Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail | Tuesday 03 October 1933 | British Newspaper Archive. [online] Available at: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000378/19331003/164/0007 [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022].
• 4
  Wikipedia Contributors (2021). Rocking stone. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocking_stone#Name [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022].
• 5
  North York Moors Historical Environment Record No: 22929
• 6
  Wikipedia Contributors (2021). Rocking stone. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocking_stone#Beliefs [Accessed 1 Jul. 2022].