Cup and groove marked rock on slope south of Delves Beck 870m east of Moor End Farm, Middleton Moor

Scheduled area

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History & significance

Cup and groove marked rock on slope south of Delves Beck is an ancient ceremonial or ritual monument consisting of a natural rock surface bearing a series of man-made cupules and linear groove markings. Located on Middleton Moor in Yorkshire, the rock belongs to the tradition of cup and groove carving that flourished during the Bronze Age, though some such monuments may have origins extending into the Neolithic period. The precise ritual or functional purpose of these markings remains uncertain, though they are generally interpreted as evidence of prehistoric ceremonial or shamanistic activity. The monument survives as a testament to the ritual landscape of upland Yorkshire during the prehistoric period and represents one of many such marked rocks distributed across the Pennine moorlands.

Cup and groove marked rock on slope south of Delves Beck 870m east of Moor End Farm, Middleton Moor is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1014164. View the official record →

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