The wizard carved into rock above Todmorden

IT WOULDN’T look out of place on Polynesia’s Easter Island.

But this rock sculpture actually stands on moorland around West Yorkshire’s Todmorden.

There’s little information about how and when the formation came to be.

But it’s known locally as The Wizard of Whirlaw, sharing its name with that of the book written by native author William Holt.

Billy, as he was known, was born in 1897 and worked in the mills as a weaver as a boy.

Throughout his life, he taught himself many languages and travelled widely with a fascination for new experiences and cultures.

Locally, Holt set up a holiday camp in Hardcastle Crags and briefly served as a Todmorden councillor.

As well as writing numerous books, and working at one point as a freelance correspondent for the BBC, Holt also started Books On Wheels, a mobile library service which used vehicles consisting of half motorcycle and half van, made in Halifax.

A colourful character, who spent nine months in jail after leading a protest, later in life Holt became known for writing about his travels across Europe with a horse named Trigger. He died in 1977.

A blue plaque commemorating him on his former home describes him as a weaver, author, artist, publisher, political activist, broadcaster, inventor, world traveller and humanist.

Holt’s book The Wizard of Whirlaw was published in 1959.

This rather large carved head of the same name stands above his hometown and has become a popular sight among walkers in the area.

It is reminiscent of the monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on

Easter Island, more than 8,000 miles away.

There are around 1,000 of the sculptures, known as Moai statues, on the island, and they were built to honour ancestors or past rulers after their death.

Other Moai removed from the island can also be seen in museums across the world.

Technical details, Nikon D850, 24-70mm lens with an exposure of 1/30th of a second at f5.6, 800 ISO.