Historic England dates the Dacre Bears to the medieval period and records them as each standing about 4 ft high and carved from Red sandstone, which is now heavily weathered.

[5] In the 19th century the bears were studied and described by Richard Saul Ferguson, another local antiquarian, who also served as the chancellor of the Diocese of Carlisle.

[5] A recent archaeological survey disputes Historic England's dating, suggesting instead that the sculptures predate the Anglo-Saxon period and may represent evidence of a pagan religious site.

The best-preserved of the quartet, it appears to have a mane and a tail, suggesting that the statues may have been intended to depict lions.

[7][c] Matthew Hyde, in his Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness volume in the Pevsner Buildings of England series, revised and reissued in 2010, describes the bears as; "sinister, troll-like creatures" and concludes, "their age is unknowable, as is their identity - and their meaning".