This survey may help us to determine if the standing stone is similar to the stones in the field surrounding it. This would then help to suggest whether or not the stone was a random choice and simply stood on its end or whether it was specifically chosen and moved from another location.

East facing side 

North facing side

Since we cannot use the grain size within the rock to determine its origin (Since this can vary even within the same sample of stone due to the sedimentary nature of the stone) we are going to attempt to investigate the size and angularity of the surrounding stones to compare to the size and angularity of our own stone. The angularity of the stone in particular could be used as a way of determining how similar the surrounding stones are to the standing stone. 

'It is made from a similar gritstone as the bedrock and the surrounding boulders but it is more angular than the others' (British sundial society volume 24 with reference to the Gardom's Edge standing stone)

The quote above is taken from an article about the Gardom's Edge standing stone and it is this angularity and comparison that we are hoping to be able to measure quantitatively from our survey. The above article states an impression on site rather than a measurement from of data.

Find out more on:

• The survey
• A more detailed article can be found at: SEAC proceedings 

Matthew Simpson