Discover Alone, back to main map

Rock art in Letter West

Rock art

What is recorded here

Rock art in Letter West carries a straight pickmark line and two cupmarks on a shallow sandstone slab. Freeze/thaw has bitten the edge and blurred the marks, yet the line still crosses the stone like a rule drawn across heath and sky. The upland slope faces northeast above the Behy River valley, giving the small design a wide horizon and a quiet warning that time keeps erasing what people believed they were recording.
In upland heath, on a gentle NE-facing slope (168m OD); lots of rock outcrop exposed across area and stream close to SE. Overlooked by mountains SE->W->NE and overlooking Behy River valley to NE. A smooth and fractured, sandstone rock outcrop (dims. 1.10m N-S; 2.60m E-W; 0.15m (max. H)) that has a generally flat, rectangular decorated surface (dims. 0.70m NW-SE; 0.40m NE-SW). The rock art is very weathered and there is clear evidence of freeze/thaw action. A line of pickmarks (L 70cm NE-SW; Wth 2cm; D 4mm) is located off-centre to N; freeze/thaw is evident at NE-end where part of this motif has flaked away. A cupmark (diam. 5cm; D 9mm) is located 1.5cm to N and a second cupmark (diam. 4cm; D 7mm) is located c. 18cm to S of this line. The second cupmark is very rough and may have weathered more than its original depth. A small linear groove (L 5cm NW-SE; Wth 1.5cm; D 3mm) is 3.5cm to WSW of northern cupmark. A small cluster of pickmarks is located to SE of the main pickmark line. Two irregular-shaped, weathered depressions to N and S of the pickmark line. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 27 March 2017

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

What survives
Recorded monument

Places near here

Add to this placeAdd a picture Comment or add a tip

Explore 1,118,481 places