New Find at Ketley Crags ?

Dashed down to Chatton in mid afternoon today - because the sky looked beautiful and I just fancied an hour or two mooching around. Managed to get some better shots of panel 5 but didn’t bother much with the main panels - apart from gazing respectfully. Then I wandered across to Ketley Crags because the low sun was very bright and very clear - and I thought I might get some even better shots - I did. I thought I would take a wider look at the boulders and outcrops on that slope, which have wonderful, swirly organic forms that must have appealed as much to our Neolithic ancestors as they do to me today. Found a few interesting things but nothing decisive. Then - I decided to go down the very bottom of the slope to look at a very large boulder - about 6 feet cubed - which is by far the most prominent rock at the base of the slope next to a wooden gate and a stone dyke. This is what I found on top of the boulder. I am hoping this is a new find because I can’t see any reference to this on BRAC. If it is already known I apologise.

It appears to be a carved basin with at least three rings around a central depression. The whole figure is about ten inches in diameter and there is a carved channel - possibly an enhancement of a natural feature - which drains the basin down the face of the boulder.

Here is a shot taken standing on top of the boulder looking vertically down. It gives more idea of the length of the carved channel.

There are what seem to be various cups pecked into the stone to the left of the basin

.OK here is a long shot taken from the boulder at the base of the entire slope -looking up to the main group of Ketley Crags with the existing Rock Art Shelter being in the very centre of those large outcrops. The monolith is plainly visible on Flash Earth, which gives its position as: Lat: 55 deg 33′ 44.3 N Long: 1deg 52′ 58.8″W

Here is a view from the known rock art panel looking down the slope to the massive boulder which is on the extreme right of the picture. This also gives a good idea of why this site is so beautiful.

I found some other interesting boulders of the ‘brain coral’ variety further along the slope, which to me suggest that artificial work has been done to enhance existing features, but I’m too tired to edit those pics now. Just wanted to share this with you all and - hopefully - get your views as to whether this is a ‘new’ find. If you think it is - then I suspect there is a possibly more to be discovered at Ketley since this is just 40 yards from the main rock art feature that has been known for many years.

Graham