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<< Our Photo Pages >> Billy Stump's stone - Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature in England in Kent

Submitted by HOLYWELL on Friday, 29 February 2008  Page Views: 7587

Natural PlacesSite Name: Billy Stump's stone
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 0.998 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Kent Type: Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature
Nearest Town: Rochester  Nearest Village: Cobham
Map Ref: TQ671683
Latitude: 51.389141N  Longitude: 0.400213E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 2

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Billy Stump's stone
Billy Stump's stone submitted by HOLYWELL : The odd Billy Stump's stone in Cobham. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature in Kent

In the delightfully peaceful and attractive village of Cobham is this strange stone found beside the Old Leather Bottle Inn. It is associated with Billy Stump from Pickwick Papers but is clearly either a boundary stone or part of a local megalith group.
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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
TQ6768 : Lawrence Drive by N Chadwick
by N Chadwick
©2013(licence)
TQ6768 : 43, The Street by N Chadwick
by N Chadwick
©2013(licence)
TQ6768 : Houses, The Street by N Chadwick
by N Chadwick
©2013(licence)
TQ6768 : View up sloping field towards Cobham Church by David Martin
by David Martin
©2021(licence)
TQ6768 : House on The Street by Oast House Archive
by Oast House Archive
©2011(licence)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 282m NW 317° Cobham Megalith Burial Chamber or Dolmen (TQ669685)
 1.1km NNE 17° The Mount* Round Barrow(s) (TQ67386934)
 1.5km NNE 15° St. Thomas's Well Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ67446972)
 1.5km ENE 69° Cobham Hall Mock Stone circle* Modern Stone Circle etc (TQ685689)
 2.3km NNE 18° Randall Heath Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TQ67747051)
 2.9km NE 37° Randall Wood Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TQ68777069)
 3.0km NNW 328° Single Well (Iflield) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ65387081)
 3.4km SW 234° St John The Baptist Church Sarson Stone Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TQ644662)
 3.5km NNE 17° Shorne Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TQ68007169)
 3.7km ESE 114° Cucola's Stone Marker Stone (TQ705669)
 4.0km ENE 74° Sarsen Stones, Three Crutches* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TQ7092269497)
 4.1km SE 139° Pilgrims Way 1 Ancient Trackway (TQ699653)
 4.2km W 275° Chalk Well Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ629685)
 4.3km SE 146° Halling Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TQ69686480)
 4.6km ESE 108° Pilgrims Way 2 Ancient Trackway (TQ715670)
 4.6km S 186° Dode Church Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ668637)
 5.3km SSW 199° Cock Adam Shaw Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TQ65576323)
 6.2km SE 130° Pilgrims Way 3 Ancient Trackway (TQ720645)
 6.4km ESE 120° Shoulder of Mutton Wood Bowl Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (TQ72716525)
 6.6km SSW 201° White Horse Wood Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TQ649621)
 6.6km SE 128° Wouldham Barrow Round Barrow(s) (TQ72456445)
 6.8km NW 310° Spring Head Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ61767246)
 6.9km E 91° Sarson stones, Esplanade* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TQ7401868447)
 6.9km ENE 67° Stone House Farm Caves Cave or Rock Shelter (TQ734712)
 7.1km E 92° Turf Maze, Rochester (Kent)* Turf Maze (TQ74266826)
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"Billy Stump's stone" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: Billy Stump's stone by coldrum on Monday, 28 April 2008
(User Info | Send a Message)
This looks similar to a stone at the corner of a building in Rochester.
It appears to be in the same place but without the writing.
I've seen this elsewhere and have always wondered why they should be put there. a couple of possibilities are that they were put there to stop carts damaging the corners of buildings or as mounting stones so riders could get up on horses easier.
Just a guess.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Billy Stump's stone by coldrum on Monday, 28 April 2008
(User Info | Send a Message)
Excerpt from Pickwick Papers concerning Billy Stump's Stone.

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club
Charles Dickens

It was at this moment that Mr Pickwick made that immortal discovery, which has been the pride and boast of his friends, and the envy of every antiquarian in this or any other country. They had passed the door of their inn, and walked a little way down the village, before they recollected the precise spot in which it stood. As they turned back, Mr Pickwick's eye fell upon a small broken stone, partially buried in the ground, in front of a cottage door. He paused.

"This is very strange," said Mr Pickwick.

"What is strange?" inquired Mr Tupman, staring eagerly at every object near him, but the right one. "God bless me, what's the matter?"

This last was an ejaculation of irrepressible astonishment, occasioned by seeing Mr Pickwick, in his enthusiasm for discovery, fall on his knees before a little stone, and commence wiping the dust off it with his pocket-handkerchief.

"There is an inscription here," said Mr Pickwick.

"Is it possible?" said Mr Tupman.

"I can discern," continued Mr Pickwick, rubbing away with all his might, and gazing intently through his spectacles: "I can discern a cross, and a B, and then a T. This is important," continued Mr Pickwick, starting up. "This is some very old inscription, existing perhaps long before the ancient alms-houses in this place. It must not be lost."

He tapped at the cottage door. A labouring man opened it.

"Do you know how this stone came here, my friend" inquired the benevolent Mr Pickwick.

"No, I doan't sir," replied the man civilly. "It was here long afore I war born, or any on us."

Mr Pickwick glanced triumphantly at his companion.

"You - you - are not particularly attached to it, I dare say," said Mr Pickwick, trembling with anxiety. "You wouldn't mind selling it, now?"

"Ah! but who'd buy it?" inquired the man, with an expression of face which he probably meant to be very cunning.

"I'll give you ten shillings for it, at once," said Mr Pickwick, "if you would take it up for me."

The astonishment of the village may be easily imagined, when (the little stone having been raised with one wrench of a spade), Mr Pickwick, by dint of great personal exertion, bore it with his own hands to the inn, and after having carefully washed it, deposited it on the table.

The exultation and joy of the Pickwickians knew no bounds, when their patient assiduity, their washing and scraping, were crowned with success. The stone was uneven and broken, and the letters were straggling and irregular, but the following fragment of an inscription was clearly to be deciphered:

+
BILST
UM
PSHI
S.M.
ARK

Mr Pickwick's eyes sparkled with delight, as he sat and gloated over the treasure he had discovered. He had attained one of the greatest objects of his ambition. In a country known to abound in remains of the early ages; in a village in which there still existed some memorials of the olden time, he - he, the Chairman of the Pickwick Club - had discovered a strange and curious inscription of unquestionable antiquity, which had wholly escaped the observation of the many learned men who had preceded him. He could hardly trust the evidence of his senses.

"This - this," said he, "determines me. We return to town, to-morrow."

"To-morrow!" exclaimed his admiring followers.

"We will," was the animated cry of three voices.

Mr Pickwick looked around him. The attachment and fervour of his followers, lighted up a glow of enthusiasm within him. He was their leader, and he felt it.

"Let us celebrate this happy meeting with a convivial glass," said he. The proposition, like the other, was received with unanimous ap

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