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The three surviving stones of the Devil’s Arrows near Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire came from Brimham Rocks, about 18 kilometres to the west—not from the nearer Plumpton Rocks, which had previously been proposed as their source. A geological fingerprinting study identifies the Brimham landscape as the stones’ source and supports the conclusion that prehistoric people deliberately transported them.
Where did the Devil’s Arrows stones come from?
The stones were made from distinctive Millstone Grit outcrops at Brimham Rocks. The source lies approximately 18 kilometres west of the monument, a substantial journey for stones that weigh about 25 tonnes each and stand roughly 7 metres tall.
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That finding overturns the earlier Plumpton Rocks hypothesis. Plumpton is closer to the Devil’s Arrows, but the new geological evidence does not match it as well as Brimham. The study identifies a source landscape and its outcrops; it does not document a fully excavated prehistoric quarry.
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What are the Devil’s Arrows?
The Devil’s Arrows are a surviving prehistoric stone alignment near Boroughbridge, in North Yorkshire. Three stones remain. The peer-reviewed study describes them as Britain’s tallest surviving standing-stone alignment, with each monument stone approximately 7 metres high and weighing about 25 tonnes.
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The stones are believed to have been extracted, moved and erected during the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, possibly around 2000 BC. That date is an archaeological estimate rather than a direct measurement of when construction occurred.
How scientists matched the stones to Brimham Rocks
The team used detrital zircon–apatite uranium-lead (U–Pb) age fingerprints. Zircon and apatite grains preserve distinctive age patterns formed in their original rocks. By comparing those patterns in the Devil’s Arrows stones with candidate outcrops, the researchers could test which landscape best matched the monument material.
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Sampling without visibly damaging the stones
To obtain the mineral grains, the team used a low-impact adhesive-tape technique. Tiny grains were lifted from the stone surfaces rather than removed by cutting or drilling. The samples were then compared with material from possible source areas.
Several lines of evidence point to the same landscape
The age fingerprints provide the principal geological match. The study also combines them with similarities in surface weathering and possible links between cup-and-ring rock art on the monument stones and features in the Brimham source landscape. Together, those observations make Brimham a stronger explanation than a conveniently nearby outcrop.
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Brimham Rocks versus Plumpton Rocks
| Source hypothesis | Geological fingerprint | Distance and glacial history | What it implies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brimham Rocks | Matches the Devil’s Arrows through detrital zircon–apatite U–Pb age patterns, supported by weathering similarities | Approximately 18 kilometres west; regional ice-flow reconstructions do not support glaciers carrying the stones from Brimham | Purposeful extraction and human transport from a distinctive upland landscape |
| Plumpton Rocks | Previously proposed, but not the best match in the new fingerprint analysis | Closer to the monument; exact distance is not stated in the 2026 study account | Convenience alone does not explain the stones’ geological signature |
Because regional ice-flow reconstructions exclude glacial transport from Brimham, the stones’ presence at the monument is best explained by people moving them. The result does not prove every stage of the journey, but it rules out the idea that the stones simply arrived as part of a natural glacial deposit from that source.
Why the source matters
Moving three stones of this size over at least 18 kilometres would have required planning, coordination and substantial engineering skill. Lead author Anthony Clarke said the stones “weren’t simply taken from the nearest available source” but were deliberately chosen from a challenging landscape. He said each weighed more than 25 tonnes and would have demanded “incredible planning, coordination and engineering skill.”
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The choice suggests that the source landscape mattered in its own right. The builders appear to have engaged with a particular upland environment rather than selecting whatever suitable rock was closest. Co-author Jim Leary said the results show ancient communities making deliberate and meaningful choices about where their stones came from.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThat interpretation connects monument building with place, memory and practical engineering. Brimham was not merely a supply point: its distinctive geology and possible links to rock art may have contributed to why those stones were selected.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the study does—and does not—establish
Established by the evidence
- The three surviving Devil’s Arrows stones are approximately 7 metres tall and weigh about 25 tonnes each.
- Their geological material matches distinctive Millstone Grit outcrops at Brimham Rocks.
- Brimham is approximately 18 kilometres from the monument.
- Regional glacial histories do not provide a plausible natural route from Brimham, supporting deliberate human transport.
- Plumpton Rocks, the nearer source previously suggested, is not favored by the new provenance evidence.
Still unknown
- The precise route from Brimham to Boroughbridge has not been reconstructed.
- The evidence does not identify the sledges, rollers, boats, ropes or lifting systems that may have been used.
- The number of people involved and the duration of the move remain uncertain.
- The evidence points to a source landscape and outcrops, not a completely mapped ancient quarry operation.
- The possible circa-2000 BC date remains a qualified archaeological estimate.
When was the finding published?
The study by Anthony Clarke, Jim Leary and Chris Kirkland was published on 9 September 2026 in Proceedings of the Royal Society A (DOI 10.1098/rspa.2026.0504). A Curtin University account places the stones’ transport and erection in the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, possibly around 2000 BC, while stressing that this is an estimate rather than a newly measured construction date.
What this changes about Britain’s tallest stone alignment
The Devil’s Arrows are now more than a striking row of giant stones. Their Brimham provenance shows that prehistoric builders selected material from a specific, challenging landscape and organized its movement over a long distance. The exact hauling technology remains unknown, but the geological match makes deliberate human transport—and a meaningful connection to the source place—the strongest explanation.
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