Marker Stone – Near Stanhope, County Durham

Location: Just north of Stanhope up the hill past Crawleyside in County Durham, shortly after passing Parkhead Station there’s a turn off towards Blanchland, bear right and the stone is situated on the B6278 just past the turnoff – heading towards Edmondbyers.

Date of visit: 5th June 2020

I must have driven past here loads of time but it was only just before I took these pictures that I noticed a solitary standing stone on the side of the road. The origin of the stone is unknown but it is unlikely to be neolithic and is most likely a marker stone. It stands on Feldon Plain and almost exactly on the parish boundary between Muggleswick and Hunstanworth. It is apparently similar to another stone that sits on the road between Rookhope and Blanchland.

Megalithic Portal

A little further up the road towards Emondbuyers, just after the turn off towards Castleside there is another interesting artefact. On the side of the road there is a stone base that once held a roadside cross, one of only three that still exist in County Durham. It is believed to be Mediaeval but that is as much information as I can find out about it!

Historic England

Megalithic Portal

Date of Visit: 17th June 2020

I also took the opportunity of taking a picture of the marker stone in the mist (and a posing sheep obviously)