The Wrekin is perhaps Shropshire’s best-loved landmark, and thousands trek to the summit every year.
But have we all missed something - that it also boasts a prehistoric astronomical calendar?
The theory has come from George Evans, the Wellington author, historian and renowned expert on The Wrekin, and follows a discovery he made years ago which, he believes, means it is likely that The Wrekin was considered a “sacred mountain” by the ancients.
“I was sitting below the Cuckoo’s Cup and saw these two rocks, with a shape like a V in between them. I thought that perhaps something might happen on the equinox, and went there then.
“I watched carefully at midday and then at 10 past 12 - because we are west of Greenwich - a shaft of light came through the rocks, and rested on another rock, moved slowly for about 10 minutes, and disappeared,” he said.
George successfully tested it out on more than one equinox, finding that the phenomenon occurred at the spring and autumn equinoxes.
The Wrekin was once inhabited - there is a hill fort on the top - and George thinks that this “Calendar Stone”, as he has dubbed it, would have provided invaluable information to the inhabitants.
“It would mean you knew exactly when the equinox was, and you called work out how many days there were in a year, and all sorts of things like when to plough and when to sow.”
He says he has had several friends check the theory, and they found it worked.
“I fancy it was enough to get The Wrekin labelled as a sacred mountain.”
George says he is not alone among Wrekin-lovers in noticing this “Calendar Stone”, although so far as he is aware it has not been mentioned in any other authors’ books.
The rocks which give the effect appear to be a natural formation, he says, although he has not closed his mind to other possibilities about how they came to be there.
He has already canvassed the theory in his books and it has been given wider coverage recently when Church Stretton writer Simon Whaley featured George’s findings in an article in a country magazine, and went to see for himself and take a picture, albeit not on a solstice.
“I could see the cleft in the rocks that George was talking about,” said Simon.
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8 Comments
That is so cool. Isn’t the Wrekin an extinct volcano?
Afraid not - it is volcanic rock, sitting on the Stretton Fault which culminates in the South Shropshire hills, but was never actually a volcano. The Victorians called it ‘the oldest mountain in England’ based on the age of the rocks, which were formed 600 million years ago somewhere in the South Atlantic. At least I think that’s right - someone might correct me.
Course it is sacred, a sacred picnic place.. Those Aborigines have the best idea - we belong to the land and NOT the other way around.
What a wonderful article I would love to be able to get up to see these stones for myself but as I am wheelchair bound I will never get the chance however if anyone videos it I would love to see this video as second best
I have often found the Wrekin to be a sacred place - You have only to stand on the summit to realise you are breathing in thousands of years worth of history.
The realization makes you feel very insignificant when you think that people have been walking up the Wrekin for the last 3000 years give or take a few 100
Colin from Woodside.
Wheelchairs can be purchased that go up steep hills like the Wrekin.
The Calendar Stone only works at the equinox - when day and night are equal - 21st March and 21st September - at noon 12.10 GMT as we are 10 minutes west of Greenwich.
The rock is just below the Needle’s Eye.
Go and see for yourself.
I hope the sun shines or there’ll be no performance.
Do report your findings.
Good hunting,
George.
Just realised my mistake. It’s below the Cuckoo’s Cup or Raven’s Bowl (same place) not Needle’s Eye.
It’s a bit of a scramble, so at 85 I’ve not been there for a while.
Do go and see it - and tell us what you saw.
George.