The Bullstones

The Bullstones can be found high up above Macclesfield close to Cluelow Cross on a moor known as Cessbank Common. The Bullstones and surrounding ring of stones are located on the eastern side of Brown hill with spectacular views of Shutlingslow, Hen Cloud and the Roaches.

The Bullstones are classed as a barrow, and excavations took place in the late 1800s by Dr John Dow Sainter, this resulted in the body of a young child being discovered along with a Celtic type Urn and a calcinated flint knife and flint arrowhead.

The Urn which for many years resided in the Congleton Chronicles office has now been rehomed in the Congleton Museum. The central standing stone or main Bull stone or Bullstrang as it is sometimes known by is a square looking monolith 1.10 metres tall, 1.40 metres wide and 0.70 metres in depth, it has a flat top with a bowl shaped depression in its centre.

It has been suggested that this bowl shape may have held blood in the past during sacrificial rites.

There are various alignments which can be interpreted in the way the Bullstones have been sited (Ludchurch, Roach end etc) but the fact remains that the purpose of the Bullstones still remain somewhat of a mystery, although they do share similarities with platform cairns found in Dartmoor and Bodmin moor as well as centre stone rings found in Scotland.