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Iron Age Britain, Barry Cunliffe

Iron Age Britain, Barry Cunliffe

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Pyrford Stone - Marker Stone in England in Surrey

Submitted by HOLYWELL on Monday, 25 February 2008  Page Views: 11254

Multi-periodSite Name: Pyrford Stone
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 0.835 km away from the location you searched for.

County: Surrey Type: Marker Stone
Nearest Town: West Byfleet  Nearest Village: Pyrford
Map Ref: TQ0382258782
Latitude: 51.318682N  Longitude: 0.511577W
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.
3 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
4

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graemefield visited on 1st Jan 1977 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 I see from the google street views the residents have ruined what was a pretty little stone in a leafy shaded minor road turning, into what i can only describe as a mess. Why the need for a kerb of painted stones and a giant red brick house sign? Am also certain that this stone has a small cross incised upon it, but like i say it was 1977 and i was only 8!

Pyrford Stone
Pyrford Stone submitted by HOLYWELL : The pyrford stone (Vote or comment on this photo)
A standing stone by the roadside, set up as a boundary stone.

A sign beneath it notes:
"This boundary stone dates from before the Norman Conquest and is possibly a prehistoric standing stone. Situated on this corner since time immemorial, it was moved to its present position during road widening. This plaque was donated by local residents in 1976"

It is said to move or turn when the church clock strikes midnight. An unlikely event as the church does not have a clock!
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Andy B has found this location on Google Street View:

Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
TQ0358 : Upshot Lane junction by Stuart Logan
by Stuart Logan
©2012(licence)
TQ0358 : Pyrford Common Lane at the junction of Upshot Lane by David Howard
by David Howard
©2015(licence)
TQ0358 : Pyrford Common Road by the entrance to Pyrford Court by David Howard
by David Howard
©2015(licence)
TQ0358 : The entrance to Pyrford Court by David Howard
by David Howard
©2015(licence)
TQ0358 : Pyrford Bridleway by Colin Smith
by Colin Smith
©2007(licence)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.4km NNE 30° Jack Temple Healing Centre* Modern Stone Circle etc (TQ045600)
 2.4km WNW 295° Horsell Common E* Round Barrow(s) (TQ01615977)
 2.6km WNW 294° Horsell Common W* Barrow Cemetery (TQ01405980)
 3.8km E 86° Bowl barrow west of Cockcrow Hill* Round Barrow(s) (TQ07635910)
 4.1km E 86° Cockrow Hill Bell Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (TQ07905915)
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 8.2km N 2° Chertsey Museum Museum (TQ040670)
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 8.9km N 353° St Ann's Hill* Hillfort (TQ026676)
 9.1km N 353° The Nun's Well (Surrey)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TQ0247767756)
 9.6km WSW 250° Bullswater Common Barrows Barrow Cemetery (SU9487555356)
 10.3km NNE 23° Shepperton Henge* Henge (TQ07686832)
 10.3km S 191° Tyting Farm Bowl Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (TQ02124857)
 10.4km SSW 205° Guildford Museum* Museum (SU9968349258)
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"Pyrford Stone" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Pyrford Stone remains a mystery by Andy B on Tuesday, 31 December 2019
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From the Woking News and Mail, published November 10, 2019

Mystery surrounds what is known as the Pyrford Stone, that can be found on top of Pyrford Hill, now a grade II listed monument whose origin is unknown but is said anecdotally to date before the Norman conquest.

Reader Mark Coxhead has been looking into its history. He says since present-day Pyrford began early in the 1950s, when most of its woods were felled to make way for new roads and houses, many landmarks have vanished, but others remain, like the mysterious Pyrford Stone.

He has found that the stone does not appear on any ancient maps, while the scanty of any information in the historical records has not prevented the advancement of numerous theories as to the stone’s origins and purpose.

The Pyrford Stone has various aspects of folklore associated, and one legend is that either when it ‘hears’ the cockcrow at dawn or every night, when the clock of St Nicholas’ church strikes twelve, then the stone will turn. This is odd since St Nicholas’ church has never had a clock.

The stone now stands at the entrance of Pyrford Court, but originally stood at the three-way junction of Upshot Lane, Pyrford Common Road and Church Hill. Moved in 1965 to Sandy Lane and 10 years later moved to the entrance of Pyrford Court as a result of a campaign lead by the late Sylvia Lewin and Merlyn Blatch. The current plaque was added in December 1976.

It is a sandstone block, that measures around 33in high and 38in at the base. The northern face, near the top, there has been carved a Latin cross 9in wide and 6in horizontal.

In a pamphlet, Sacred Stones and Holy Water, written by Roman Golicz and published in 2004, he speculates on five possible explanations for the stone’s presence.

1. A boundary stone of pre-Conquest origin. Not thought to be positioned on any historic boundary, although in a circular of 1880 sent to the parishioners of Pyrford reference is made to an ancient lane leading to the Pyrford Stone.

2. A stone accidentally dropped during the construction in the 1190s from the wagons carrying stone for the building of Newark Priory and erected by persons unknown at the road site. Not thought to be a possibility due to the costly and dissimilar nature of building materials for the priory.

3. A sanctuary stone to give sanctuary to anyone fleeing persecution pointing the way to Pyrford Church. Not thought to be viable as too close to the church.

4. A sacred stone – perhaps a relic of pagan worship transferred to Christian use, as it is incised with a cross on the front face. Standing stones at principal road junctions were placed to signify the spiritual significance of crossroads and intersections. The original name of a nearby field was Holy Cross.

5. Ley lines – to signify links between religious sites.

If you have some memories or old pictures relating to the Woking area, call me, David Rose, on 01483 838960, or drop a line to the News & Mail.

David Rose is a local historian and writer who specialises in what he calls “the history within living memory” of people, places and events in the west Surrey area covering towns such as Woking and Guildford. He collects old photos and memorabilia relating to the area and the subject, and regularly gives illustrated local history talks to groups and societies. For enquiries and bookings please phone or email him at: davidrosemedia@gmail.com

For the full story get the 7 November edition of the News & Mail

Source: http://www.wokingnewsandmail.co.uk/pyrford-stone-remains-a-mystery/
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Pyrford Stone/ holy cross? by graemefield on Wednesday, 27 June 2012
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Am convinced that when i used to cycle out to visit this stone as a small child (yes even back then my obsession had started) it had a small christian cross engraved upon it? Could anyone please clarify this?
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    Re: Pyrford Stone/ holy cross? by Andy B on Wednesday, 27 June 2012
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    Roman Golicz would probably know - he has written a booklet called acred Stones and Holy Water: the Pyrford Stone
    http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Sacred_Stones_and_Holy_Water.html?id=7lfjAAAACAAJ
    I'll see if I can get in touch
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Pyrford Stone/ holy cross? by graemefield on Thursday, 28 June 2012
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      Many thanks Andy, look forward to the reply. :)
      [ Reply to This ]
        Pyrford Stone/ holy cross? Kicking a cross! by graemefield on Thursday, 28 June 2012
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        Further to my childhood memory of this stone bearing an engraved cross, i found this bit of folklore on another site:

        Kicking a Cross.--In July, 1901, I was making enquiries in Pyrford about the well-known Pyrford Stone, which "turns round when Pyrford clock strikes," or "when it hears the cock crow." A gardener, a resident in Pyrford but not a native, said,-- "I expect it was put up in remembrance of someone being killed. There's a cross scratched on it, so I expect it's like kicking a cross. Don't you know that? I've been in many parishes, and they always kick a cross in the road where anyone's been murdered or killed in an accident." Here he made a cross in the dust with his foot. "If a man's been killed in an accident on the road, the policeman'll always kick a cross; and some people keep on kicking a cross in the same place year after year. There've been several people killed on Pyrford Rough, but no one seems to trouble to keep up the crosses."
        Scraps of English Folklore, XII. (North Bedfordshire Suffolk, London and Surrey)
        Barbara Aitken
        Folklore, Vol. 37, No. 1. (Mar. 31, 1926), pp. 76-80.
        [ Reply to This ]

Pyrford Stone Street View by Andy B on Monday, 05 April 2010
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