Arkletonshiel
Knocking Stone (Period Unassigned)(Possible)
Site Name Arkletonshiel
Classification Knocking Stone (Period Unassigned)(Possible)
Alternative Name(s) Arkleton Cottage
Canmore ID 311006
Site Number NY48NW 20
NGR NY 406 884
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/311006
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Ewes
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Annandale And Eskdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
Field Visit (19 December 2010)
The stone is located in the upper Tarras Valley at about NY 406 884, N of Arkleton Cottage (NY48NW 7) (known locally as Arkletonshiel). The Cottage is about 4.5 K SE of Arkleton Castle (NY39SE 17) which lies in the Ewes Valley.
Cross the footbridge, follow the drystane dyke northwards beside the west bank of the Tarras; in about 100m the dyke turns away from the river, and the stone can be seen about 40m west, across boggy ground.
The stone sits in boggy ground several metres away from a largely dilapidated dyke. There are no obvious features – ditches, ridges, mounds etc - on the ground nearby to give clues.
It's a grey sandstone boulder about 1.15m in length, and has had a bowl carved into it, about .30m x .33m x .16m (capacity about 4.5L). Right at the bottom of the bowl there is a shallow “dimple” or depression. The inside is marked as by some stone-working tool.
On the south-facing surface there are the letters WE and a date 1?27, possibly 1727. Lower down on the S face of the stone there are two "steps" which may be manmade or naturally occurring. Nearer ground-level there are two other incised characters, possibly JJ. No other characters or other carving has been made out.
Information from Tom Kennedy, Eskdale and Liddesdale Archaeological Society 2010
