Although there were reports that sound generated as the object travelled through the Earth's atmosphere was heard in some areas of Yorkshire, the meteorite was unusual in that the sonic boom that would normally be associated with a meteorite entering the atmosphere was not heard by anyone who witnessed the fall, nor were there were any reports of either a fireball or smoke trail.

The exact location was reported as being 19 yards south of the signal cabin and on the west side of the railway lines; this gives co-ordinates of 54 deg 33 min 31 sec N and 1 deg 12 min 57 sec W.[2] The impact was witnessed by workmen only yards away, who heard a "rushing or roaring" sound followed by thud, as the meteorite hit a nearby embankment,[3] leaving a hole described by the astronomer Alexander Herschel as a "round vertical hole into which a man's arm might be thrust".

[1] The meteorite had penetrated to a depth of about 30 cm and was described as "new milk warm" to the touch by the workmen when they retrieved the object.

By experimentation, replicating the conditions of the impact, he determined the speed of the object at the time was 412 feet per second (281 mph).

[8] In March 2011, the 130th anniversary of its fall to Earth, it was lent to the town's Dorman Museum where it was put on display for several weeks.