The Fairy Stones – Burdale
The Fairy Stones are located in a valley at Burdale, 3 mile to the north of Fridaythorpe in East Yorkshire. The Fairy Stones are a group of large rocks sitting high up on the valley side. The valley itself is called Fairy Dale, and the Fairy Stones are the only visible rocks in […]
Nothing new under the sun
I was struck by the hand prints (above right) on a recent visit to Saklikent Gorge in southern Turkey. Visitors to the gorge have dipped their hands in muddy silt, and pressed them onto the rock face – leaving their mark at this impressive natural feature. Perhaps it was the location, but for some […]
The Nafferton Fairy Stone (site of) – Driffield
The Nafferton Fairy Stone originally stood alongside the road between Nafferton village and Driffield in East Yorkshire. In his book ‘East Yorkshire Folklore’, John Nicholson records … “About half way down the hill forming the eastern slope of Nafferton Slack, by the road-side, to prevent waggons leaving the roadway, stood a large stone, which […]
The Ancient City of Myra – Turkey
The ruins of the ancient city of Myra are located in Demre, a town 60 miles south west of Antalya in southern Turkey. Around 2000 years ago Myra was one of the main cities in the state of Lycia in the Anatolia region of Turkey. The city later came under Greek and then […]
The Barghest of Busky Dike Lane – Fewston
Busky-Dyke, the Busky-Dyke,Ah! tread its path with care,With silent step haste through its shade,For “Bargest” wanders there! In his ‘Yorkshire Legends and Traditions‘ (written in the late 1800’s) the Rev Thomas Parkinson mentions the Barghest of Busky Dike Lane – just to the west of Fewston village, 7 miles to the west of Harrogate. […]
Lastingham Church Scrapes
The village of Lastingham is located on the southern edge of the North York Moors – 18 miles to the west of Scarborough. Lastingham is the site of an early Celtic monastery established in the 7th century by monks from Lindisfarne. At that time the area was quite wild and remote, providing the […]
The Ghaistrills Strid – Grassington
The Ghaistrills Strid is a section of the river Wharfe, 3/4 of a mile to the north west of Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales. The Ghaistrills were mentioned in a previous post about the Ghost of Tom Lee, who was hanged in 1768 for the murder of Dr Petty – the local doctor […]
Not another Rocking Stone? – Hebden Gill
The village of Hebden is located 1.5 miles to the east of Grassington, in the Yorkshire Dales. To the north of the village, Hebden Beck flows along a scenic valley which winds its way down from the hills and higher moorland areas. Part way along the valley, the OS map marks a Rocking […]
The Ghost of Tom Lee – Grassington
250 years ago a brutal murder took place on a quiet lane near the village of Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales. Many years may have passed since the killing took place, but the crime still linger in the folklore of the area. The murderer’s name was Tom Lee, – a lead miner and […]
Songlines – The Seven Sisters Dreaming – Paris
Songlines is an exhibition of Australian tribal art depicting the Dreamtime story of kungkarangkalpa – the Seven Sisters. This creation Dreaming forms a Songline stretching 4000km across the whole Australian continent, and as a consequence, several tribal groups share the Dreaming, and are custodians of its sacred sites on their land. The Seven […]