Druids' Altar (West Yorkshire)
Druids' Altar is a rock outcrop at Bingley , in West Yorkshire , England . The name (with a different spelling if necessary) is quite common in the British Isles and denotes dolmen , stone circles (e.g. Druid's Altar near Treshfield in North Yorkshire ).
The sandstone outcrop west of the valley of the Aire in the mountains on the northern edge of Bingley, mentioned in records from 1849, has, according to Harry Speight (1898) - a tradition as a place for druid worship. In Sidney Green's book (1929) about the place, which has little archaeological data to confirm a tradition other than flint finds, it is said that Beltane rocks were burned on the rocks for centuries . A 19th century note reports a cup-and-ring mark near the Druid Altar. Such a marker may be seen on a rock less than 100 meters to the west. In Clive Hardy's work (2002) it is reported that "local antiquarians" say that the cobbled path from the Brown Cow Inn to the Druids' Altar is an ancient Druid processional route.
Two springs below the Altar Rocks are, as their names suggest, associated with the ancient pagan priests, the Altar Well and the Druid's Well.
literature
- Harry Speight: Chronicles and Stories of Bingley and District. Elliott Stock, London 1898.
- Sidney Greenbank: The Druid's Altar. Bingley, RG Preston, Bingley 1929.
- Clive Hardy: Around Bradford. Frith Book Ltd, Salisbury 2002.
Web links
- Description and pictures (English)
- map
Coordinates: 53 ° 51 '20.4 " N , 1 ° 51' 39.8" W.