A video post...of a post.

In recent posts I have looked at the various standing stones across the parish and the surrounding area. Here I’m getting up close and personal with one specific one, that is beside the road between Sherborne and Windrush.

The odd recangular socket I’m afraid I have no explanation for - other than it must have been carved for a purpose, probably to hold something. What do you think?

At first I couldn’t see the bench mark, but a bit of careful investigation shows there is a crude benchmark, shown in the second video

So what is ever so slightly odd is this:

1. The Benchmark is oddly crude. Most benchmarks are neatly carved.
2. The Benchmark isn’t noted on the old OS map which I use… numerous other benchmarks are recorded, with their heights, on this OS map all over Sherborne, and indeed there is one noted on the Boundary Stone to the South of this one. But for this stone, no indication of a benchmark, no height recorded. That’s a little odd and hard to explain.

Here’s the OS Map

And a zoom-in with the benchmark and boundary stone on the A40, and below it the map entry for the stone shown in the video - no benchmark indicated

We can’t know how old this stone is. The benchmark is likely 19th C and the stone could be of that age or centuries older. Note that this stone has an odd “stepped” shape, similar but more pronounced than the stepped boundary stone West of Clapton, above Haycroft, that I discussed earlier, here:

I can’t find any other boundary stones with this stepped feature elsewhere in the country, except one known Roman boundary marker. That doesn’t mean this is Roman, but it is possible, albeit unlikely. It will be interesting to see if the stone to the south of this, buried in a hedge on the A40, has a similar stepped feature.

If this video works for you or not, let me know. From my perspective the Substack seems to be working. If you are getting this post via email you will continue to get it in that format. Try the rest of Substack, or not, as it suits you. Shout if you have any dramas.

Nothing much else to report other than frequent sightings from versus people, especially Serena, of the a fantastic white hart stag with his harem on the North bank of the brook, and a lovely Barn owl frequenting the area around Waterloo Bridge every evening about 5pm. Quite a sight.