Bleeding stone · Woodland folklore · Norfolk
The Great Stone of Lyng
The Grove · Lyng · Norfolk
Deep beside a woodland footpath rests a glacial boulder said to bleed when pricked, silence the birds around it and guard treasure that even twelve horses could not uncover.
Photo: Blue Square Thing / Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
A real stone carrying an improbable weight of folklore
The Great Stone is not a replica, memorial or story attached to an empty pin. It is a substantial glacial erratic left far from native rock, sitting beside an old wooded route through The Grove. Its presence has attracted stories for centuries: blood beneath the surface, treasure below, birds falling quiet, pagan rites, Danish dead and phantom nuns. You can walk straight to the object at the centre of them all.
Your visit at a glance
Visitor information rechecked 14 August 2026Older than the stories told around it
The legends are human; the boulder is geological. Ice transported it into a county with little native surface rock, leaving an object strange enough to demand explanation long before anyone could describe glaciers.
A traveller carried by ice
The Great Stone is a glacial erratic – a boulder moved into Norfolk by ancient ice rather than formed where it now lies. In a landscape short of exposed native rock, its scale and isolation make it immediately conspicuous.
Its exact geological journey is less theatrical than a bleeding altar, but arguably stranger: an enormous stone displaced across the landscape by forces that vanished thousands of years ago.The “great stone” gains a name
The Norfolk Historic Environment Record notes that antiquarian Tom Martin referred to the Great Stone of Lyng around 1730. The name therefore predates the modern folklore revival by nearly three centuries.
That early reference does not prove every legend is equally old. It does show the boulder had already become a recognised feature of the local landscape.Beside an old hollow way
The stone rests alongside a sunken track through woodland known as The Grove or King’s Grove, south of the ruins of St Edmund’s Chapel. The enclosed setting gives even a daylight visit a sense of leaving the ordinary road behind.
The path itself may be an old route between local settlements. Stone, track, chapel ruins and wooded slope created fertile ground for stories to gather together.The stone that was said to bleed
The Norfolk Historic Environment Record preserves three central traditions: the stone bleeds, birds cannot be heard singing nearby, and treasure lies beneath it. A newspaper account published on 13 March 1939 added the story’s most infamous instruction – that on certain nights the boulder would bleed if pricked with a pin.
Some versions say the blood belonged to sacrificial victims; others connect it with St Edmund and those killed during conflict with the Danes. The stone has also been described as a pagan altar, although its true history remains unknown. Over time, these stories have woven ancient ritual, invasion and violent death around the boulder. Perhaps the most unsettling idea is also the simplest: that something apparently lifeless might bleed when wounded.
Treasure, twelve horses and unseen company
The bleeding legend is the hook, but The Grove carries a much wider tangle of traditions. Their contradictions are part of the charm: every generation seems to have found a different reason why the stone should not be disturbed.
Treasure underneath
One story says a landowner tried to move the stone to reach treasure buried below it. Even twelve horses supposedly failed. The tale turns the boulder’s sheer geological stubbornness into evidence that it guards something.
The silent birds
Birdsong is said to disappear near the stone. Woodland acoustics, season and chance may all shape what a visitor hears, but the tradition makes the quiet itself feel like part of the encounter.
Nuns, bells and St Edmund
The ruined chapel and old nunnery stories deepen the mystery of The Grove. Phantom nuns are said to wander the woodland, while other tales speak of buried bells and connect the landscape with King Edmund’s final days.
Treat it as a small woodland discovery
This is not a managed attraction with signs, lighting and a souvenir shop waiting at the end. The satisfaction comes from following the footpath into The Grove and finding the real stone quietly occupying the centre of an extraordinary story.
A careful visit to The Grove
The official Lyng heritage trail directs walkers from the Collen’s Green and Hase’s Lane area into The Grove. Take an offline map or screenshot because woodland signal and path visibility should never be assumed.
Find a suitable parking spot
There is no dedicated car park, but limited roadside parking may be available near the trail entrance. If it’s busy, you may need to park a little farther away and extend the walk.
Follow the public path
Cross the signed access point and remain on the established footpath through The Grove. Expect a stile, roots, mud and uneven woodland ground.
Find – and leave – the stone
The boulder rests beside the path. Photograph it, notice the soundscape and enjoy the story, then leave it exactly as found without pins, offerings, carvings or exploratory digging.
Finding the stone
The verified pin marks the boulder itself at approximately 52.71086, 1.07726. It is not a vehicle destination. Use Norfolk County Council’s rights-of-way map and the official heritage trail to identify the walking approach.
Approach: public footpath from the Collen’s Green and Hase’s Lane area
Important: never drive down or obstruct the track
Terrain, weather & facilities
The route is short but rural. Wear shoes suitable for mud and roots, visit in usable daylight and avoid entering woodland during severe weather or high winds. There are no toilets, food outlets or bins at the stone.
Extend the story beyond the stone
The wider Lyng landscape makes the strongest companion. Continue only on recognised public routes and remember that visible ruins or fields are not automatically open-access land.
Lyng Heritage Trail
Link the stone with the Wensum valley, wartime remains and the story of St Edmund’s Chapel. The official PDF gives the broader landscape context that a quick stone-only stop misses.
Open the heritage trail ↗Sparham Pools Nature Reserve
For a longer nature stop, Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s former gravel workings offer lakes, woodland and wildlife close to Lyng. Check current opening and access information before adding it to your route.
Check visitor information ↗Find the stone – but leave its secrets where they are
The Great Stone of Lyng proves a mysterious destination does not need velvet ropes or a theatrical reconstruction. One displaced boulder, an old woodland path and generations of local imagination are enough. Go quietly, listen for the birds and decide what the place feels like for yourself – leave the pins behind.