Journal of Geomancy vol. 2 no. 3, April 1978
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The River Calder’s valley has long been seen as an important natural route through the Pennines between Yorkshire and Lancashire. From the ancient parish of Halifax, routes ran to Burnley, Rochdale and the other sub-Pennine towns of Lancashire. The Brigantes holed up in the hills for refuge against the Roman invaders, and despite or perhaps because of Cartimandua’s connivance with the Europeans, Latin influences in the north would seem to have been largely superficial. Pockets of Celtic communities remained while the valley filled up with Saxon settlers, and are remembered with names such as Walsden and Walshaw. Yet it is being seen by historians that even as the racial character of the area changed, its intrinsic nature has remained stubborn throughout. Evidence is being increasingly turned up of the continuity of settlement of isolated farmsteads in fringe areas like Calderdale and the other Pennine valleys, suggesting that a good deal of the older Saxon settlements are in fact directly based on an earlier pattern. It is perhaps significant, in this context of continuity that has been demanding attention in the north for the past few years, to note our local Guy Fawkes tradition. While the rest of the country celebrates plot night on November 5th, in this valley, firey celebrations begin on Hallowe’en and go on all through Plot Week, as it is called, until around Guy Fawkes Night. The hills flanking the Calder and forming its watershed, while not possessed of stupendous flights of beauty, nonetheless maintain a powerful repose that finds its way into the soul of the receptive resident. These hills do not sleep, but seem to sit in watchful meditation.
After the earliest roadmakers had passed along the terraces overlooking the valley bottom, man began to tackle the lower levels, and the woods, animals, and marshes that still resisted his settlement drive. The eventual result of this push was the arrival of the lower highway, the Rochdale Canal and the railway, side by side and sometimes atop one another alongside the Calder, while mill towns grew along these routes using the water flowing down to process wool and other textiles. The valley received an uncustomary prosperity, and before too long, the population pattern had been reversed; now the foci of valley life and communication were nucleated along the riverbank, whereas before they had been comparatively scattered on the heights. Meanwhile, at some point while all this was going on, between when the valley was nigh-inaccessible and the present day, a terrestrial zodiac came into being, with fourteen figures ranged from the river level to the moors, over an area of approximately 5 × 2½ miles. It is termed the Hebden Bridge Zodiac after the largest town within its bounds, and would appear to be the smallest of its kind yet discovered – a marked contrast to its nearest neighbour, the giant Pendle Zodiac, which lies at the other end of the Calder Gap. {74}
A number of features apart from size distinguish this zodiac from its divers fellows. One is its orientation – every figure, when looked at on a map, has to be viewed from a ‘northerly’ position. Another is the progression of the Zodiac signs, which in this case is reversed, i.e. from Aries to Pisces one travels clockwise. Its shape, also is unusual, in being closer to an oval or a rectangle than to a circle or vesica piscis. Finally, and most importantly for its implications in the lay-out of this landscape phenomenon, most of the signs can be seen in whole or in part from the neighbouring hillsides.
The figures are outlined by the now-customary means for these zodiacs – roads, tracks, paths, streams, notable landscape features and field boundaries. Often a parish boundary will help mark out a delineation. Industrial and other human development has in some cases modified and in other cases partially obscured figures, but has not yet obliterated any. Most of the field arrangement probably took place in the early mediaeval period, which suggests a very tentative dating for the zodiac. The Georg!an Parliamentary Enclosure had very little effect on this part of Yorkshire, producing at most, it is estimated, 5% of the present fields.
There are 12 signs, and two exterior figures; individually, they are as follows, beginning from Aries, which occupies the south-western corner of the whole configuration.
ARIES: This is very striking when viewed from the hills around, as the figure is on an isolated hillock giving a quite conceivable impression of landscaping. It takes the form of a lamb looking back over its shoulder to the east. Its foreleg is folded around Parrock Clough, a hindleg drawn into its body. Ground markings suggest a tail. At its eye is a well, and a possible ear is provided by a conveniently placed field.
TAURUS: Across the valley to the north is a stamping bull about a mile in length (the average length of the figures, approximately), outlined in the fields and tracks below Staups Moor. Its tail is formed by the cutting of Ingham Clough.
GEMINI: Portrayed as a kneeling giant, hooded, as are all the human figures in the Hebden Bridge Zodiac. Naturally one of the largest figures, his hands are clasped above his head, which is situated by the village of Blankshaw Head. The remains of New Delight Mills may be seen at the base of his spine, which is marked further up by an old and deeply incised track. His leg crosses Colden Water by way of a time-honoured clapper bridge.
CANCER: Sailing westwards across the moors from Windy Harbour Farm through Hepstonstall Slack, is a vessel reminiscent of the Egyptian papyrus boats. On Cross Hill, at the stern, was once situated a tumulus; the ship’s bows are at Knoll Top.
LEO: A cat does duty for Leo, arching its back over Hebden Bridge at the foot of the valley. Its forepaws are in the valley of the Hebden Water, and its hindlegs rest on the fringes of Hepstonstall churchyard. St. James’s Church, Mytholm, is on the tail, in a position appropriate to the saint’s feastday on July 25th. The feline’s head rests on the hillside above Nutclough, between the hands of Virgo.
VIRGO: No sprightly maiden this, but an old hag with a bowed back, coming down from the moors and fondling Leo’s head. The image of a witch and her familiar springs immediately to mind, and Bog Eggs, on the moorside near her feet, is a place of evil repute. Her head is at Dodnaze. The relationship between these last two signs recalls the ‘Strength’ card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot (ref. A.E. Waite’s pack).
LIBRA: The hawk, the smallest figure of the zodiac, is best viewed from Daisy Bank, on the other side of the valley, from where it can be seen as the wooded area around Hawks Clough. It is pictured in stasis, hovering above the valley.
SCORPIO: From claw to sting, the Scorpion is the longest figure in the collection, although the tail is drawn back around the top slopes of Luddenden Brook valley to compact the beast and threaten the Crow, one of the external figures yet to be described. One claw reaches toward Mytholmroyd, seizing Calder High School, revivers in the 1950s of the local Pace Egg Play. {75}
SAGITTARIUS: The mounted archer leaps over the town of Mytholmroyd, firing an arrow into the centre of the zodiac. Mytholmroyd rubbish tip is situated at the rear end of the horse, below the site of discovery of a Roman coin hoard which is posited suitably for an anus. The detail of the rider is highly marked – he wears a hood, cloak, quiver, leggings (slightly crumpled) and shoes. The horse’s head is lifted to allow Aquarius’s wing to spread. Robin Hood Rocks, nearby in Cragg Vale, may perhaps name the archer.
CAPRICORN: A rather elongated unicorn touches the signs of Sagittarius, Aquarius, and Pisces, with its feet in Cragg Vale and its one-horned head on Bell House Moot. It appears to be in an attacking posture, its forelegs curved together into the fold of the back half of the Aquarian eagle.
AQUARIUS: The eagle is rising into the air from Nest Cottage, Mytholmroyd, and up over Erringden Moor. Its tall is raised slightly for lift. Along the front of the right wing is another deeply cut trackway comparable to that already referred to under Gemini.
PISCES: Two fish, one composed of a prominent ridgeback, and the other caught up in woodland, are connected by a sinuous track traversing the five hundred feet of height separating them. Also on the slope between the fish is Great Jumps Farm, beside Cock Hill Moor. The word ‘cock’ in relation to Pisces in terrestrial zodiacs is discussed by Bob Lord in his Pendle notes.
THE CROW: At the bottom left, or north-east, of the zodiac is a crow standing with its feet in a ford across Luddenden Brook, and its tail at Wade Bridge. Its head is the very distinctive tump of Crow Hill, which can be seen from afar seeming to watch over the moors – it would seem in fact our local guardian of the zodiac. The crow has his gaze turned upvalley.
THE COCK: This is the only incomplete figure in execution, being just the head and comb of a cockerel situated about Cock Hill, Wadsworth. An earthwork on the hill fell foul to quarrymen, but a circular earth ring is still extant on the cock’s neck.
The shape and distribution of the Hebden Bridge Zodiac does not lend itself to providing an easy centre. I have chosen two possible centres; one is in the town of Hebden Bridge, which lies midway along the axis of the Calder as it passes between the figures. I would suggest an intuitive focus for this alternative is at a point where the Rochdale Canal crosses the river by means of an aqueduct, on which, in a position virtually bereft of vantage points, is placed an enigmatic stone head gazing out over the Calder. This is 18th century; I do not claim it as ancient, merely impressionistic. The other centre is closer to the cartographical hub, and is where four tracks and a path meet in a five-pointed star close to the mouth of the lower fish of Pisces. A track from the latter ‘centre’ leads towards the former.
For many reasons in the consideration of this zodiac, I can only be vague about its dating, beyond being sure that it came about relatively late (in terrestrial zodiac terms). It seems to me at the moment that we could be looking to perhaps as close as the fourteenth century, in itself a period of great activity in these parts. The historical Robin Hood can be traced if desired to candidates in various insurrectionary groups (among others) that operated around this time. What caused Robin’s transition, if we accept a historicity argument, from outlaw to mover of stones? From local character to geomancer? These matters I will leave in the air, and as for its raison d’être will only throw in the speculation that it may have been left as a ‘parting gift’ from the Celtic residents to the Saxon infiltrators who slowly took over the valley.
Other lines of research are being followed at present, and an article hardly seems space enough to cover the various threads that arise when investigating such things as zodiacs. Conceivably, one may never finish; the unfolding of a zodiac, apart from being an exposition of a landscape mystery, has its counterpart inwardly. A whole concept of landscape changes and broadens, and with it one’s whole sense of environment. There is ever much more to be said; therefore I make no apologies for ending these notes in inconclusive vein. …