Ilkley Moor – Neb Stone

Summary: The Neb Stone is a distinctive boulder on the Ilkley Moor in Yorkshire which has two cup marks.

  • Site type: Rock engraving
  • Number of motifs: 2
  • Motif/s: Cupmarks, Lines
  • Quality: 1/5
  • Condition of site: Good
  • K.S.J. Boughey and E.A. Vickerman, Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding (2003). p.86

The Neb Stone (or Nebstone) is a prominent boulder with rock art that has the appearance of the lid of a grand piano. “Neb” is a Yorkshire term meaning “to kiss”; Paul Bennett in Circles, Standing Stones and legendary rocks of West Yorkshire suggests that lovers used to meet at the Neb Stone to hold their trysts (OS Grid Reference SE 1038 4639 / 53.913558, -1.843312).

Neb Stone on Ilkley Moor

It can be seen seen some distance away above a wall that runs up from Intake Beck and past Silver Wells Cottage, and offers “magnificent Wharfedale scenery and fairly guaranteed solitude in spite of being close to the town”.

IMG 9439 LR Ilkley Moor - Neb Stone

The Neb Stone has only a few possible cup marks (as do two of the large rocks next to it that make up part of the wall). The cup marks have been as being between 3500 and 2500 years old.

IMG 9442 LR Ilkley Moor - Neb Stone

The Neb Stone is also known as:

  • ERA-2320
  • Boughey & Vickerman (237) / PRAWR 237
  • SAM 25393
  • PRN158

Getting to the Neb Stone

The most direct way to the Neb Stone is by taking Keighley Road out of Ilkley to a parking area (Weary Hill) where the road turns into a 4WD track. Take one of the trails that heads in a south-west direction; it’s easier to approach from this direction than from below. The Ilkley Moor loop hike passes this site and a number of others on the moor.

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