The Devil’s Arrows, Britain’s tallest surviving prehistoric stone row, have long raised questions about where they came from and how they reached Boroughbridge. It turns out that ancient Neolithic builders hauled these enormous 25-tonne structures across at least 11 miles to get there.Researchers at the University of York and Curtin University in Australia have shed new light on these prehistoric stones in Yorkshire. Further geological analyses revealed that Neolithic people bypassed more local stone sources to bring the giant megaliths from Brimham Rocks in North Yorkshire, settling a long debate over whether humans or Ice Age glaciers moved them.The researchers also confirmed that a missing stone is hiding in plain sight in the nearby village of Aldborough, in the form of a cross, proving 19th-century theories and local legends to be true. The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A.
Yorkshire’s Neolithic labour of legend
The Devil’s Arrows, as locals call them, rise almost seven metres (23ft) high, making these three surviving pillars near Boroughbridge the tallest standing stone row in Britain. They are even taller than the stones at Stonehenge. The southern stone is the second-tallest standing stone in Britain, after the Rudston Monolith, while the central stone is the third-tallest. For long, scientists wondered how these stones arrived. The researchers used isotopic ‘fingerprinting’ to show that the stones came from Brimham Rocks, 11 miles (18km) away. This proves that the builders were intentional about choosing stones from a distant place instead of using closer sources.“Megalithic architecture is among the most visually striking features of the Neolithic landscape across Britain and Ireland, from vast ceremonial complexes like Avebury and Stonehenge to individual standing stones. Sites in southern England and Scotland receive considerable attention, but monuments like the Devil’s Arrows have remained comparatively understudied despite their significance,” Dr Jim Leary, from the University of York’s Department of Archaeology, said.“We have now proved that Neolithic communities moved several 25-tonne stones 18km across Yorkshire, transforming a familiar site into an epic quest to create a sacred landscape,” he added.In the mid-16th century, Tudor antiquarian John Leland recorded a fourth standing stone; however, decades later, it went missing. By 1687, records said locals had broken up the fallen stone, used part of it to construct Peg Bridge over the River Tutt and taken the top segment to Aldborough Manor.Later in the 19th century, antiquarian J.R. Walbran proposed that another fallen monolith had been used to make the Battle Cross, a 5.5-metre monument crafted in the 15th century to commemorate the 1322 Battle of Boroughbridge.The new study confirmed Walbran’s theory. The mineral fingerprinting found that the medieval cross standing in Aldborough today is indeed a carved segment of a long-lost Arrow.The Devil’s Arrows stand on Triassic Sherwood Sandstone; however, the monoliths themselves are made of Pennine Basin Millstone Grit, a different type of coarse-grained sandstone formed during the Namurian period over 300 million years ago.“While the nearest gritstone outcrops sit just 5km west of Boroughbridge, and long-suspected alternative sources like Plumpton Rocks sit 13km away, we used high-resolution isotopic testing of microscopic zircon and apatite minerals to trace their exact geological birthplace,” Dr Anthony Clarke, geochemist at Curtin University in Australia, said.“By mapping the unique mineral age profiles locked inside the stone, we proved the megaliths were quarried 18km away at Brimham Rocks, ruling out the idea that they were local glacial rocks left behind by ice sheets,” he added.On the western edge of Boroughbridge, the three surviving stones are spaced unevenly across 174 metres. Historic evidence suggests that the site once held at least five stones, and likely more, standing on gently sloping ground near a possible prehistoric ford on the River Ure. They formed the southern gateway to an enormous sacred landscape between the Rivers Swale and Ure, anchoring a region dotted with seven late-Neolithic henges, the densest concentration in Britain.“The Devil’s Arrows have inspired stories and sparked curiosity for generations. Local legend tells of the Devil standing on How Hill and hurling giant stone arrows towards Boroughbridge, only for them to fall short and land where they stand today. While the folklore remains a much-loved part of their story, it’s wonderful to discover that the real journey of these stones is every bit as extraordinary,” Justin Scully, General Manager for Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal and Brimham Rocks, said.“This fascinating research reveals a direct link between Brimham Rocks and the Devil’s Arrows, connecting two remarkable Yorkshire landscapes in our care. We’re incredibly grateful to the researchers for helping us uncover this new chapter in the stones’ story and deepen our understanding of the people who shaped this landscape thousands of years ago,” Scully added.Jess Tipper, Historic England’s North Region Inspector of Ancient Monuments, reflected, “The Devil’s Arrows are a much-loved part of Boroughbridge’s rich heritage and we’re delighted these scientific discoveries add to the understanding of their history. And we look forward to finding out more about them and how we can protect them for everyone to enjoy.”