Researchers have shed new light on a series of prehistoric stones in Yorkshire, revealing the 25-tonne structures were hauled 11 miles across land by Neolithic builders.
Geological analysis showed Neolithic communities bypassed more local stone sources to bring the giant megaliths, known as Devil’s Arrow stones, from Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire, settling a long-running debate over whether human effort or ice-age glaciers moved the giants.
Researchers at the University of York and Curtin University in Australia also confirmed that a missing stone is "hiding in plain sight" in the nearby village of Aldborough, in the form of a cross, proving 19th-century theories and local legends to be true.
At almost seven metres (23ft) tall, the three surviving pillars near Boroughbridge form the tallest standing stone row in Britain, and taller than the stones at Stonehenge. The southern stone is the second-tallest megalith in the country after the Rudston Monolith, while the central stone ranks as the third-tallest.
The team used Isotopic "fingerprinting" to match the stones to Brimham Rocks, 11 miles - or 18km - west, proving builders deliberately sought out a specific, distant landscape rather than using nearby sources. Dr Jim Leary, from the University of York’s Department of Archaeology, said: “Megalithic architecture is among the most visually striking features of the Neolithic landscape across Britain and Ireland, from vast ceremonial complexes like Avebury and Stonehenge, to individual standing stones.
“Sites in southern England and Scotland receive considerable attention, but monuments like the Devil's Arrows have remained comparatively understudied despite their significance.
"We have now proved that Neolithic communities moved several 25-tonne stones 18km across Yorkshire, transforming a familiar site into an epic quest to create a sacred landscape.”
Tudor antiquarian John Leland recorded a fourth standing stone in the mid-16th century, but decades later it was said to be missing. In 1687, it was recorded that locals had broken up a fallen stone, using part of it to construct Peg Bridge over the River Tutt and taking the top segment to Aldborough manor.
In the 19th century, antiquarian J.R. Walbran proposed that another fallen monolith had been recycled into the Battle Cross - a 5.5-metre monument crafted in the 15th century to commemorate the 1322 Battle of Boroughbridge.
The new study's mineral fingerprinting has now confirmed Walbran's theory, proving the medieval cross that remains standing in Aldborough today is indeed a carved segment of a long-lost Arrow.
The Devil's Arrows stand on Triassic Sherwood Sandstone, but the monoliths themselves are made of Pennine Basin Millstone Grit - a coarse-grained sandstone deposited during the Namurian period over 300 million years ago.
Dr Anthony Clarke, geochemist at Curtin University in Australia, said: “While the nearest gritstone outcrops sit just 5km west of Boroughbridge, and long-suspected alternative sources like Plumpton Rocks sit 13km away, we used high-resolution isotopic testing of microscopic zircon and apatite minerals to trace their exact geological birthplace.
“By mapping the unique mineral age profiles locked inside the stone, we proved the megaliths were quarried 18km away at Brimham Rocks, ruling out the idea that they were local glacial rocks left behind by ice sheets.”
Positioned on the western outskirts of Boroughbridge, the three unevenly spaced monoliths stretch across 174 metres. Standing on gently sloping ground aligned towards a possible prehistoric ford on the River Ure, historical accounts show the site once held at least five stones, and likely more.
Extensive prehistoric remains west of the stones show they formed the southern gateway to a vast sacred region between the Rivers Swale and Ure, home to seven late-Neolithic henges, and the densest cluster in Britain.
Justin Scully, General Manager for Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal and Brimham Rocks, said: “The Devil’s Arrows have inspired stories and sparked curiosity for generations. Local legend tells of the Devil standing on How Hill and hurling giant stone arrows towards Boroughbridge, only for them to fall short and land where they stand today. While the folklore remains a much-loved part of their story, it’s wonderful to discover that the real journey of these stones is every bit as extraordinary.
“This fascinating research reveals a direct link between Brimham Rocks and the Devil’s Arrows, connecting two remarkable Yorkshire landscapes in our care. We’re incredibly grateful to the researchers for helping us uncover this new chapter in the stones’ story and deepen our understanding of the people who shaped this landscape thousands of years ago.”
Jess Tipper, Historic England's North Region Inspector of Ancient Monuments, said: "The Devil's Arrows are a much-loved part of Boroughbridge's rich heritage and we're delighted these scientific discoveries add to the understanding of their history.
"And we look forward to finding out more about them and how we can protect them for everyone to enjoy."
The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A.
Proceedings of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences