Around DRiffield and the east riding

Rudston Monolith - This is in the churchyard at Rudston village near Bridlington. It is nearly 26 ft. tall, and the nearest rock of this kind occurs on the North York Moors, over 10 miles away. There is a small piece of the same or similar rock in the North-East corner of the churchyard. It is supposed to have been situated near the big piece many years ago. Nearby, there are traces of ancient cursus lines. There are also burial mounds not far away at Willy Howe, Duggleby Howe and Ba'l Hill. The significance of the standing stone must have been religious. Its date is only roughly estimated as late neolithic or early bronze age. Some say the stone is a glacial erratic, but most people maintain it was dragged here. It once had a cross on top, but this was removed to stop the top from shattering any more. It now has the top protected by a lead cover. An excavation by Sir William Strickland in the late 18th century showed that the buried part was as long as the exposed part. Strickland found human skulls during his dig. The stone's weight must be 40-50 tons.