Picture Post: Three Peaks sit between a rock and a hard place

The Great Stone of Fourstones lies just inside North Yorkshire and stands some 18ft high.

While its name suggests that at some point there were three other smaller stones nearby, they have long since disappeared.

Over the centuries much has written about the stone, with some experts believing it was a meeting point for tribal chiefs and inevitably the area has given rise to a number of myths and legends.

While geologists will tell you that the rock is a glacial deposit, which began its journey many thousands of miles away and arrived in Yorkshire during the last ice age, some 10,000 miles away, there is an alternative explanation.

According to local legend, the Devil was responsible for dropping the stone when he was on his way to build the Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale just over 10 miles away.

Fourteen, now well-worn steps, are carved into the side of the stone and from the top it gives unrivalled views of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks which can be seen clearly in this photograph with Whernside to the left, Ingleborough in the centre and Penyghent to the right.

What you can’t see is that the lower slopes of the fells are formed from massive limestone slabs and beneath lies an extensive networks of caves.

Among the most popular are the White Scar Caves, which attract potholes and cavers from all over the country.

The longest show cave in history was discovered in 1923 by Christopher Long and it is also home to England’s highest waterfall at Gaping Gill, where the Fell Beck drops 361ft down a pothole, into Britain’s second largest cavern.

The beck re-emerges further down the mountain next to Ingleborough Cave, where visitors can take a guided tour of part of the system. Whernside might look less imposing than its neighbours, but its summit is the highest point in North Yorkshire.

Technical details: Nikon D3s camera with a 24-70mm lens at 34mm with an exposure of 1/100th sec at f22 and an ISO of 250.

Picture: Gary Longbottom

Words: Sarah Freeman