Strictly speaking, there have never been dragons recorded on Penistone Hill, but this cliff face and I beg to differ. In Wayfinder 8, the deep time dragon of Penistone Hill speaks of when she was a riverbed in a tropical forest, and of how sandstone is formed under pressure over millions of years. Look out for another stone carving from Stevan Tica here, which shows a river channel flowing through layers of sand.

I was excited to learn that Anne Brontë had an interest in geology and may have visited the Rotunda Museum during her time as a governess in Scarborough. I’ve always felt connected to Anne as I grew up on the Yorkshire coast that she loved, and feel likewise torn between the wild uplands and the North Sea.

The 19th century was a golden age of geology, with scientists and collectors just beginning to discover the ancient secrets stored in the Earth. In a certain light, the dragon head at West End Quarry has a rusty hue, where iron has washed through the rock. I call this her ‘Carnelian glow’ in the poem, in a nod to Anne’s prized precious stone collection and her necklace made of this striking orangey-red mineral.

The dramatic cliff face here is the result of an unusual and dangerous quarrying method. The men would force long iron bars into the base, while a designated worker stood as lookout at the top, looking for vertical cracks forming in the stone. When these cracks started appearing, they’d shout a warning to the men below to down tools and run! I don’t recommend reenacting this.