Books, Prehistory, Transactions of the Woolhope Club 1881 Golden Valley Meeting

Beyond the assertion that it is pre-Roman its age is a question of mere conjecture.

The generally received opinion is that the name, Arthur's Stone, is simply a corruption of Thor-Stein, the Stone of Thor, or Thor's Altar, from which it is suggested the parish takes its name, Thorstein, Dorstein or Dorstone; but this is not wholly satisfactory or conclusive; if it be so the Saxon invaders must have adopted for their ceremonial rites, an ancient Keltic structure, which is improbable. The name "Stone," whether preceded by "Thor" or "Arthur," must be English—an English suffix given to an ill-understood relic of antiquity. It would seem more likely that the original British name was lost, and at some later period the name of "Arthur" was given to the Cromlech as a vague memorial of a shadowy but celebrated hero, whose name was so well known throughout Britain, and one of whose residences was not far distant. The title page of Duncumb's " History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford," published in 1804, has a fine woodcut of the Cromlech, as it then appeared, and although not signed with Bewick's name, there can be little doubt that it is his work. We have it on the authority of that eminent geologist, the Rev. W. S. Symonds, F.G.S., that "the large incumbent stone was no doubt hewn from the rock close by." The adjacent quarry was exposed which enabled a correct opinion to be formed. The other stones, some of which have fallen from their originally upright position, belong, Mr. Symonds says, for the most part, to the hard lime- stone of the cornstones, and are not in situ on the horizon of the Cromlech, but lie scattered about as boulders upon the land. All the stones belong to the Old Red Sandstone of the Country. On the south western side the Cromlech is close to an ancient road, probably British (as most of the British roads ran along the summits of the hills), in the angle, formed by another ancient road that comes up the hill to Dorstone, and is now used only for agricultural purposes, and as a bridle road. The Cromlech stands fifteen miles due north of the Skirred-fawr. Aline drawn from the Skirred-fawr, near Abergavenny, northwards to Arthur's Stone, would pass over the Camp on the southernmost point of the Hatterill Hill, Old Castle, Longtown Castle, and Urishay and Snodhill Castles. It consists of several stones, about 18 may be counted now, besides fragments. The chief feature is the large incumbent stone broken into three parts, and resting upon about ten smaller upright stones of various dimensions. In form it is nearly oval, the sides, east and west, being straight; with two irregular sides north and south, the north somewhat curved, pointed at the extremity, and eroded considerably. An evident fracture of the stone has shortened the south end, which is about four feet in width. The long axis is due north and south, measuring about nineteen feet. The short axis, east and west, is twelve feet. The straight side, on the west, is fifteen feet, and on the eastern side thirteen feet. The thickness varies, and probably nowhere exceeds two feet. Between the under-surface of the stone and the ground is a space of about four feet formerly the distance was greater as the hollow has been partially filled up by worm casts and other means. At a distance of eight feet from the south end of the large stone is an upright one, five feet high, and five feet six inches broad, standing with its edges east and west. A similar, but smaller stone may be seen further on, and several fragments lie around. A small Avenue occurs at the north end of the large stone, leading from it to the old road, and formed by five or six stones standing erect, with their edges north and south. They project from one to three feet above the turf, and bear evidence of much erosion; the avenue is in width about four feet, in length nine or ten feet. Fragments of stone lie scattered about more or less buried in the soil and covered by turf. The whole stands on a mound of oval shape, its lung axis twenty yards, its short axis ten yards.

"If my conjecture be right that of Herefordshire having more Remains of its Ancient Figure than any of the rest, is first to be described."

"Upon a hill west of the river Wye above Bradwardyn Castle, in the way toward the Black Mountains, is a flat, oblong stone, or a number of stones joined together, lying upon the pedestals of rude upright stones fix'd in the earth, after the manner of Rolle-Rich. A great part of the work is entire; the supporting stones being at the same distance from the verge of that they bear. The eastern point (as I remember it was eastern), is narrower than the rest as much as the eastern part of a gravestone. It seems to have increased in breadth toward the west, but the western end being demolished, as well the upper stones as the pedestals, neither the length of the whole nor the breadth of the western part can be determined. What remains (as I remember), was about six yards long, and two yards broad. The flat stone was then in three pieces, but the sides of those pieces answering one another, and not joining as they would have been made to do if they had been originally single, but indented like something broken, I take them to have been but one at first. From whatever quarry it was brought, or by whatever carriage, it hath the air of a natural stone, not of one put together with a strong cement. Its height from the ground was about twenty inches. I remember the sheep of the country, which are small, sheltered themselves under it from the sun. The name by which the country people call this, is Artil's Stone [Map], corrupted probably from Arthur's Stone. This may have been taught them by somebody that had a notion of Arthur's Round Table, thinking this erected with the same design. Or supposing this to be of the same age and design with Stonehenge, the memory of Arthur may be kept up by its similitude to the other, for Arthur, according to our Monkish History was a great man; and the honour attributed to Aurelius Ambrosius, who took upon him the government of the Britons when their affairs were desperate, after the departure of the Romans, Arthur is always allowed to share in. This might be from Arthur's being a Briton, whereas the other was half if not wholly of Roman blood."

The "Old coarse stone about eight foot above the ground," bearing the incised figure of the Cross, should be the object of careful searches and enquiries. Such a stone would not have been broken up, and may yet be found built into the wall of some house or out-building. A careful—very careful—exploration should be made in the supporting mound, directed particularly towards a large stone shewing evident traces of tool-work, now lying against the bank of an adjacent hedge-row.

Now as to King Arthur. Whittaker's very able and learned treatise tells us his principal exploits were against the Northern Saxons, whilst he was only the Prince of the Silures, and Ambrosius was Pendragon, or Dictator of the Britons.

In a series of probably five campaigns, and in a succession of certainly eleven victories, this great Commander expelled the Saxons from the greater part of Britain. The twelfth battle of Arthur was fought in the South of England, after he was elected to the Pendragonship, against Kerdic, the Saxon. This extra- ordinary victory completed the circle of his military glories. The whole of our Island is in traditionary possession of his character, and more than six hundred places within it are still distinguished by his name. It is well established that the city of Caerleon, the capital of Silures, was his habitual residence, and as Arthur's Stone is distant some thirty-one or thirty-two miles only from that ancient capital, and lies immediately between it and the scenes of some of his martial exploits, it is not unreasonable to suppose that he made frequent visits to this mystical structure, before the hand of the Spoiler, Time, had destroyed its symmetry and marred its rude magnificence. Indeed it would require but little effort of the imagination to see his stout spear, Rone, made of ebon wood; and his well dinted shield Pridwen, lying on the great altar now before us; while he, grasping his trusty sword Excalibar, given to him by the Lady of the Lake, stood on the very spot we now occupy.