The left-hand end of the stone is undecorated, but a deep curve accommodates to the bending profile ribbon beast which arches its neck in an inverted U-bend. On the crest of the neck are four locks of mane. In the lower left-hand area of the animal is a simple spiral limb-joint, and near it, but slightly higher, are two small incised lines at right angles to the edge of the body. From the level of the scrolled joint, a plain, straight fore leg extends across the arch formed by the neck. A thin curving element stems from this, echoing the crook of the neck. The beast's head and other parts are missing.

The fragment may be a half of the upper section of a shaft, the undecorated, curved area at one end forming an arched panel like that at Holme upon Spalding Moor 1 (Ill. 483). The disposition of the profile beast with ribbon body, spiral joint and (?) fetter closely resembles the bound dragons of the Ryedale series, especially those of the Sinnington tradition, though here the cutting technique is much deeper and employs bevelling on the corners of the raised carving. It does not, therefore, come from the Ryedale workshops, but does depend stylistically on their animal ornament. The two incised lines on the edge near the spiral joint are reminiscent of embellishing details in Viking-age metalwork, like the animals on the terminals of the Skaill brooch (Graham-Campbell 1980, 55, 146, nos. 197, 492; Graham-Campbell 1983, 70–1, fig. 11), whilst the mane derives from the York Metropolitan School?s slab series. Indeed, the modelling, the arch of the neck and the mane have their closest parallel in a grave-cover from the York Minster cemetery (no. 39; Ill. 165). This is undoubtedly in the main stream of the York styles which were influential in sculpture some ten miles to the north of Kirby Grindalythe.