Milestones, Boundary Markers, Historical Artifacts, Street Furniture, lost roads and buildings.

There are many traces of our ancestors scattered around our landscape. Mile Markers and Boundary stones are there too. The Milestone Society believes that there are approximately 9000 left in the United Kingdom. Some are cherished but others are hidden in hedgerows, some have been unwittingly destroyed by crashes, road equipment or even stolen. Roads have been straightened to make them safer. There are old gateposts still left in place, old buildings, and place names that declare an evocative past. The aim is to capture some of this information at least photographically before it disappears.

Although the Fylde Coast does not have ancient history, the Romans apparently struggled to Kirkham. There have been huge changes in the last two centuries from literally a a few fishermans' and agricultural dwellings, to a full blown tourist and light engineering industry.

More historical information can be found here about the Fylde coast.

It also seems that time has marched on and left what appears to be some very respectable buildings... which just should be used, but seem to have no worth.

Links from this Blog

Nearly-Midnight The genealogy website relating to the family. A tangled web of people all related to one another, explore!
Memorials Website dedicated to War Memorials - The majority in the North of England. Visits to churches, but also memorials in out of the way places.
Robert Clark The Father of Henry Martyn-Clark - A missionary out in the North-West Frontier of India. One of the first Europeans to set foot in Afganistan
Affetside Census A small village north of Bury, Lancashire, I can trace many of my immediate ancesters from there. On the Roman Road, Watling Street
Andrew Martyn-Clark My Father and his part in my World. Also my mother and his parents too.
Henry Martyn-Clark My Great Grandfather, his roots and his achievements. Discusses malaria but also his confrontations with Islam.

Saturday, 17 November 2012

Cross Base at the church of St Thomas, Garstang

There are 2 interesting objects next to each other.
The first object is a cross base situated within the grounds of St Thomas' church in Church street , Garstang.

Little to say about this except that the 2 parts actually do look like they belong together. The base has also had the corners chamfered as well as the shaft.

The cross base. The wall at the back is the edge of church property

This benchmark with a bolt is on the church, it is literally a few yards away. This is the entry on the bench mark register.

1GL Bolt: Garstang, Church

Bolt in North-west face of Garstang Church tower ; 4.99 ft. above ground [1GL, Liverpool to Port Carlisle, Mark No. 157]; PA BOLT W ANG ST THOMASS CH TWR (22.8256m ODN, 0.5m AGL).

Location
Grid reference: SD 4907 4505.
Landranger 102: Preston & Blackpool, Lytham St Anne's.
Structure: Church / Chapel.
Waypoint: BT1321.

Neighbouring Bench Marks

BM	Garstang Bridge (NBM) 224.72m to the east.
BOLT	Garstang Bridge 241.66m to the southeast.
BOLT	Highroad Bridge 722.50m to the southeast.
PIVOT	Garstang, Milestone, Preston 10 1.04km to the southeast.
BOLT	Calder Bridge 1.95km to the southeast.

The nearest fundamental bench mark is Lancaster, 16.13km to the north.

First Primary Levelling, England & Wales (1840-60)
This bench mark was used during the First primary levelling, England & Wales, and was levelled with a height of 75.0420 feet [22.8728 metres] above mean sea level (Liverpool datum). It was included on the Liverpool to Port Carlisle levelling line. The surveyor's description was No. 157. Bolt in North-west face of Garstang Church tower ; 4.99 ft. above ground (p415).

Third Geodetic Levelling, England & Wales (1950-68)
This bench mark was used during the Third geodetic levelling, England & Wales.

Logged Visits
Visited on 16th September 2012 by dal. Condition: Good.
Bolt at centre of cut mark. Fine condition. The two sides of the arrow have double cuts.

I suspect dal had visited it at the same time as me.

The Garstang church benchmark - I do not really look out for these things.

I also discovered 2 servicemen's graves in the churchyard.

All Hallows church sundial, Bispham

Seven metres south of the parish church in Bispham there is a square stone pillar placed in what appears to be an octagonal stone base. The stone base is "tied" with straps to hold it together.

This object has several pictures on the internet. However seeing it for real, one senses the antiquity. These are my 2 pictures.

Taken towards the Lych Gate,
facing Bispham village, a general south direction.

From the south door

This is the excerpt from English Heritage.

SD 34 SW BLACKPOOL ALL HALLOWS ROAD, BISPHAM

1/2 Sundial 7 metres South of
Bispham Parish Church (All Hallows)

II

Sundial on stone shaft said to be base of former cross. Shaft of square
section approximately 1 metre high, mounted in octagonal stone block on
circular stone disc; incised letters "IH" on north side, "RB" on west side
("IH" = "John Hull", donor of sundial, "RB" possibly "Robert Broadbelt",
parish clerk 1678-1715). Sundial plate originally dated 1704 with names
John Hull and Joh Hebblethwaite, and motto "Die dies Truditur", now only
partially legible. (VCH Lancs vol. 7 p. 244).

Listing NGR: SD3189840566

The Latin inscription, which is open to interpretation, means " day rushes after day"

There are 2 more objects in the church which are very interesting as well as the memorials which have not yet been described.

I have not brought anything new to this object. Although it is one of a surprising number of older objects still about the Fylde Coast.

Roads and artifacts