Ilkley Moor – Pepperpot Stone

Summary: The relatively small Pepperpot Stone on Ilkley Moor is covered by almost 50 Stone Age cup marks.

  • Site type: Rock engraving
  • Number of motifs: 50
  • Motif/s: Cupmarks
  • Quality: 2/5
  • Condition of site: Good
  • K.S.J. Boughey and E.A. Vickerman, Prehistoric Rock Art of the West Riding (2003), p.78

The relatively small Pepperpot Stone is close to one of the many trails that traverse Ilkley Moor, but is obscured by thick heath in summer. (OS Grid Reference SE 11807 46546 / 53.914930, -1.821730).

Pepperpot Stone

The stone gets its name from almost fifty cups that cover the top and lower part of the rock, resembling a pepperpot.

IMG 9592 LR Ilkley Moor - Pepperpot Stone

An x-ray filter applied to a 3D model of the Pepperpot Rock shows “how the carver(s) incorporated shallow connecting grooves between some of the cups, and that placement may have been influenced by the curving bedding”.

tqs Pepperpot Ilkley Moor - Pepperpot Stone

The Pepperpot Stone is also known as:

  • ERA-2346 White Wells 03
  • Boughey & Vickerman (261) / PRAWR 261
  • SAM 25375
  • PRN198

Getting to the Pepperpot Stone

The easiest access is from White Wells, taking the path upwards from the west end of the building and then a scrambling up small steep path up to the right. Look for a faint path branching off the main path to the left. The Ilkley Moor loop hike passes this site and a number of others on the moor.

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