The Devil’s Arrows
Just on the outskirts of Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire are three standing stones known as the Devil’s Arrows. Two stand in the middle of a field where wheat and barley grow in alternating years, while one stands across the road leading to Roecliffe in a small enclosure. The stones are thought to have been erected around 2700 B.C., which absolutely boggles the mind. There are a few legends associated with these monoliths. The most oft-repeated is that the devil, being angry at the nearby Roman settlement of Aldborough, let loose these stone arrows, but as the devil’s plans are apt to do, his attack fell a mile short, leaving these stones in their mysterious alignment. There is evidence of two more stones that are now missing, one believed to be part of a small bridge in Boroughbridge.
The long history of the stones is enough to capture the imagination of anyone, but during the time my family and I lived in Boroughbridge, my husband’s imagination was captured while taking a short walk along the public footpath that surrounds the stones. It was around 9:30 p.m. in early July when the daylight hours last into the night, and he discovered the Arrows were home to a large rabbit warren. He came walking quickly back to our house to retrieve my camera so he could take some pictures, and after that night, that walk became one of my favorites, too. We loved watching the rabbits.
That July walk has now resulted in a story called The Rabbit’s Arrows set in the beautiful Vale of York where we lived. You can purchase a copy in paperback or hardback. The audiobook is also excellent and only 5 pounds! There are more pictures of The Devil’s Arrows and the rabbit warren in the picture gallery.