Situated in an enclosure opposite the Gatcombe Estate, this standing stone is rich in superstition and folklore. Its origins are unclear and open to speculation, shrouding the stone in mystery.
Some suggest the stone may have initially formed part of a chambered tomb, the final resting place of a Danish warrior killed in battle at nearby Woefuldane Bottom. Although no archaeological evidence has been found to support this, the story remains compelling.
Others claim the stone was in place during the battle and that soldiers shot arrows through the holes in the limestone, before being defeated by the Saxons. Barrows have been discovered across the landscape along with many arrow heads and flints.
In more recent history, local people would visit the stone for its healing properties. This is common to many holed monuments and at Minchinhampton is was said that passing an infant through the holes in the monolith could cure common childhood ailments.
Indeed the power of the stone is so great that any attempts to remove it from the earth have been without success. The stone is said to move only according to its own will and is rumoured to run around the farmer’s field when the church clock strikes midnight.
A smaller standing stone is embedded in the adjacent drystone wall and may have originally formed a pair. The number of stories attached to the longstone make this one of the most intriguing monuments in the area.
Visiting Information
The stone is located approximately one mile along the road from Minchinhampton to Avening. The enclosure is easily visibly from the roadside.
Strange Stroud 
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