Dog Stone

There is no track down to the Dog Stone, and the rocky slope is tough going.
An easier way is to return to Edale Cross and follow the track down towards the Kinder Reservoir, then cross the fellside to find The Dog Stone. There is a huge boulderfield on the west slopes of Kinder Scout, above the Kinder Reservoir. It includes Cluther Rocks, and the triangular Dog Stone which is lower down. For centuries quern stones for grinding grain were produced here until the market for grindstones collapsed. Masons carved their grindstones at Cluther Rocks for hundreds of years.
Among the workings is this post-medieval carving of a dog and some runic text which has been translated:-
She may be small but she is of the best green stone
The characters are thought to be a cypher used by Freemasons, who used the Rosicrution and later Pigpen Cyphers. The final symbol is of an arrow linking square and circle. In modern language and culture, ‘Squaring the Circle’ has come to mean a vain or impossible activity. The mason who carved this gave it his best shot.
The Dog Stone is very difficult to find!
It will help to look west on to Upper Moor where there are two parallel stone walls. The Dog Stone (almost) lines up with the south wall.

Writings and photographs courtesy of Mike Browell.