More information : (SE 76519920) BS Blue Man-i-the-Moss (NAT) Standing Stone (NR) (1)
Standing stone examined by R H Hayes in 1954 and photograph taken. Stone is very weathered on north, west and east sides and is similar to Rudstone, and the Devil's Arrows. It has probably been standing since pre-Roman times deep in boggy peaty soil on edge of drier slope up to Wheeldale Howe (SE 79 NE 3). (2)
As the Blue Man is a parish boundary stone on Wheeldale Moor it is highly probable that blue comes from 'plu', Cornish for parish
and the origin of 'man' must be sought in Welsh 'maen', a stone. (3)
As described by Hayes and now painted blue. See photograph. (4)
Stanhope White lists this monument in his 1977 survey at sheet (SE) 79 NE 765992, boundary stone , "Blue man i the Moss", marked with a small "E" and a date 1841 on the south side. (5)
The standing stone lies in open heather moorland, on the boundary between the modern parishes of Egton and and Hartoft. It also lies on the boundary between the Dutchy of Lancaster's Goathland Estate and the Egton Estates. The standing stone survives well as a large earthfast sandstone slab measurig 1 metre by 0.5 metres in section at the base, narrowing to 0.5metres by 0.3 metres at the top and orientated east to west. It is 2 metres tall and has some small boulders and stones set in the ground surface around its base. The surface of the stone is cosiderably weathered on all sides. There is a letter 'E' engraved on the south face, which also has traces of blue paint in places. At the base of the stone on the south side there is a modern marble memorial plaque in a cement setting erected in March 2003. The inscription reads 'In memory of D. K. Hodge 3.3.1939-10.10.2002 "You'll never walk alone"'. This is cemented to the stones around the base of the standing stone, and several have been disturbed to accommodate it. It has the appearance of a gravestone covering cremated human remains. Despite this disturbance, the stone appears to be a well-preserved and prominentn prehistoric standing stone of national importance. However it was not added to the schedule as due to being in joint ownership of the Goathland Estate and Egton Estates it was decided to wait untiil all Egton Estage was reviewed under the Monument Protection Programme. (6) |