Image of the stone facing west and the picture was taken from the east side of the holed stone.
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Here comes the sun
Hole facing east as the sunsets to the west
The holed stone in Northumberland is situated at Thompson's Rock on the lower slopes of the Beacon on Simonside.
If you are a keen walker this area is surely worth a visit. Re-discovered in 1987 by David Thompson, it has a ragged two to three inch diameter hole running through it of about one and a half meters in length.
Whilst the hole is possibly natural, although this has not yet been proven, Crispian Oates who studied this area in great detail has suggested that a ritual center linked with solar movements may have existed in this area. And why not?
If you are a keen walker this area is surely worth a visit. Re-discovered in 1987 by David Thompson, it has a ragged two to three inch diameter hole running through it of about one and a half meters in length.
Whilst the hole is possibly natural, although this has not yet been proven, Crispian Oates who studied this area in great detail has suggested that a ritual center linked with solar movements may have existed in this area. And why not?
The sun through the hole
The sun rays filling up the hole of the stone
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The sun fully inside the stone
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Just before the sun sets, slowly light rays appear through gradually filling up the hole within seconds. The sun rays shone through the hole for almost 8 minutes. This is an amazing example of a Solar Observatory.
On the 20th of June Newcastle Astronomical Society visited the Holed stone at Simonside on the evening of the Summer solstice. To see the sun shine through the holed stone. Findings have shown that the holed stone is aligned with the rising and setting of the sun at the solstices. I was there to witness the event.
 Viewing the sun through a Ha Dedicated solar telescope
On the 20th of June 2016 the evening of the Summer solstice and a "Strawberry moon" Newcastle Astronomical Society visited Simonside to see for ourselves this magnificent stone come alive.
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 Strawberry Moon
The same evening as the sun was going down the moon was rising in the east. leaving a very orangy red moon above the trees as we descended down the hillside.
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