Ancient rituals inspire new Pendle Hill artwork

Twelve carved stones are to be buried around the trig point at the top of the famous landmark, courtesy of artist Henrietta Armstrong who has been working on the project since June 2018 as part of the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership project.

The project draws on symbolism, geology, ancient rituals and traditions. The twelve stones are currently being fabricated by Henrietta from locally sourced limestone and cast concrete.

Each will be engraved with designs relating to different aspects of the hill, influenced by creative sessions she led with local community groups and conversations with residents from all over Pendle, on both sides of the hill.

The stones will soon be taken up the hill, where they will be partially buried in a circle around the trig point, with the majority of each stone hidden from view. These mysterious objects will remain underground, to be discovered by archaeologists of the future.

In February half term, local people and visitors to the area are invited to drop in to The Garage at Northlight to see the Pendle Hill Summit Stones before they go. This is a one off chance to see the stones.

The commission is managed by In-Situ for the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership – a four year scheme funded by Heritage Lottery Fund to conserve Pendle Hill, making it more accessible and enjoyable for the people of Pendle for years to come.

This project is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas.