Large X on cliff face 30ft tall

[Lodlow]

Its something people have seen on a cliff near our small village as far back as the stories go. The stories go back to the early 1800's. The setting for the X is near an exit from the bay where we live. The area has claimed many vessels over the years, on average during the 19th century it was averaging 1 shipwreck a year. This area I mention has a very harsh landscape for ships, many sinkers, it is about 20km of coastline specifically. The water near the cliff range from 5-10 fathom.

There are a lot of stories, many of which I believe to be untrue; but the X is there, and not a cross of vertical and horizontal lines. The stories that have been passed on say that pirates treasure can be found by following a series of these X's, none of which have I seen. This X would have been very difficult to put there, and I do not know what substance makes the X on the rock. It is on a small peninsula jutting out to form the bay, the cliff is approximately 200-250ft high, flat and made of shale. There are no mines in the area, but pirates are know to have inhabited areas close to our region.

The X is barely discernible at this point, though our environment is harsh with many a day the ocean itself breaking on that cliff. It can be seen from at least 10km away, and many more if you were at sea looking in at it.
Has anyone else seen anything like this. It is a very difficult place to get to, and the pics just won't turn out for me to show you. What could the X be leading to, a wreck, treasure, nice shelter? Who left this kind of symbol, and what would the substance on the cliff face be to last so long?

Whatever else, the X intriques me.

 

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[Stroover]

Having grown up in a fishing village and having sea legs myself, this almost sounds like some kind of a channel marker entrance, if not a hazardous navigation warning. Is there a harbour or an important shipping river nearby? Is there now a lighthouse in the vacinity of the "X"? Prior to having a lighthouse erected, they could have placed the x there to spot from a distance the entrance to the harbour or to guide ships safely toward the "port" in the days of the development of your village. Or, it could be to mark something else, of course....

 

[Lodlow]

The X is placed on a treacherous peninsula, though there are more areas worse than this one. Old newspaper clippings I have found, have priests pleeing for a lighthouse in the area because they had been hauling bodies and pieces of bodies up over the cliffs much to often, though a prayer said by the people around here ended with, "bless mom and dad, and please send us a shipwreck in the morning". (Not a joke, I learned it too, but was later told it was wrong to pray for shipwrecks). There was never a lighthouse or fog horn. The nearest is 25-30km in one direction, about the same in the other. There is a large beach in our cove, 1.5-2km long, seperating the ocean from a fresh water lake (called a pond around here, though 9miles long). No rivers used for shipping near here, but the Portuguese White Fleet were known to dry fish on this beach, along with many others.

Thanks for the reply, any suggestions are helpful.