Details

The monument includes two carved gritstone rocks situated at the southern edge
of a group of rocks at the top of a ridge at Lanshaw, overlooking Woofa Bank.
The northernmost of this pair of rocks has a conspicuous, large, natural
basin. The carving on this rock consists of two cup marks.
The southernmost of the pair, lying 2m south west of the other, barely
protrudes above ground level. It is carved with a cup and ring and has an
enhanced natural groove.
The monument also includes a short stretch of rubble bank immediately to the
south of the carved rocks, running approximately east to west along the top of
the ridge for a distance of c.25m. The form of this bank indicates its
prehistoric date; it is interpreted as some form of land division, possibly
being a field boundary.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Rombalds Moor is an eastern outlier of the main Pennine range lying between
the valleys of the Wharfe and the Aire. The bulk of this area of 90 sq km of
rough moorland lies over 200m above sea level. The moor is particularly rich
in remains of prehistoric activity. The most numerous relics are the rock
carvings which can be found on many of the boulders and outcrops scattered
across the moor. Burial monuments, stone circles and a range of enclosed
settlements are also known.
Prehistoric rock carving is found on rock outcrops in several parts of upland
Britain with one of the densest concentrations on Rombalds Moor. The most
common form of decoration is the `cup and ring' mark in which expanses of
small cup-like hollows, which may be surrounded by one or more `rings', are
pecked into the surface of the rock. Other shapes and patterns, including some
dominated by grooves or lines, are also known. Carvings may occur singly or in
small groups, or may cover extensive areas of rock surface. They are believed
to date to the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age periods (c.2800-500 BC) and
provide one of our most important insights into prehistoric `art'. The exact
meaning of the designs remains unknown, but they have been interpreted as
sacred or religious symbols. Frequently they are found close to contemporary
burial monuments. All positively identified prehistoric rock carving sites
exhibiting a significant group of designs have been identified as nationally
important.

The carvings on these rocks survive well and will contribute to an
understanding of the wider grouping of carved rocks. The close proximity of
the prehistoric rubble bank to the carved rocks is unusual. Information on its
relationship to them will be preserved.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Hedges, J D (ed), The Carved Rocks on Rombalds Moor, (1986), 98

Source: Historic England