The Giant’s Marbles (Doggers)
The big round boulders in the ‘Sand Pit’ are called ‘doggers’, and there are many more scattered around the hill. There are folk tales of giants throwing these ’marbles’ at each other, and are said to represent the fossilised tears of the Empress Matilda. In 1141, Matilda was fleeing from her enemies in London and wept copiously as Oxford (and safety) came into view from Shotover.
Actually, the doggers ’grew’ in the Kimmeridge Sand over millions of years. Minerals in the ground water (calcium) stick to the boulders and cement the sand together like concrete. The doggers are exposed when the surrounding sand erodes away.