'One would look far before finding a place which surpasses
Kirkdale for the combination of beauty of setting with historic
and architectural interest.'
The evidence of decorated stone slabs and more recent excavations,
dates the history of the site to about 750AD or perhaps even earlier.
Close by a nearby ford there is an old quarry, in the face of which
may be seen the two openings of a cave. In 1821 some quarrymen came
upon enormous quantities of bones scattered inside the cave.
The find was brought to the attention of William Buckland,
Professor of Geology at Oxford, the most distinguished authority
of his day in this field. He hastened to Yorkshire at once to investigate.
Buckland identified the bones of several species which included lion,
bear, tiger, elephant, bison, deer, reindeer, rhinoceros, boar, horse,
wolf and other smaller animals: there were also the remains of nearly
three hundred hyenas. As the mouth of the cave does not exceed three
feet in height the larger animals could not have entered it,
so Buckland concluded that the cave had been a den of hyenas which
had dragged their prey either whole or piecemeal into the cave to consume it.