Roads and artifacts: 25/11/2012

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.

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

St Cedd's well - Lastingham

Well quite a lot of debate about the antiquity of this well - and indeed these Yorkshire wells. Looking at the architecture it does seem rather unlikely that any part of them dates back before 1800 at all (The guess is all mine). For me the significant thing is that there is a well at all and it does highlight the village of Lastingham. Unfortunately I did not realise there were 3 wells at Lastingham and I only found the one. However St Cedd is indeed a very real and significant person in the history of early Christianity.
A link to the datastore for the church is here. I features many items of interest which predate these wells.


The well on the road approaching Lastingham church Close examination shows that it seems quite modern. The spout is set in a lions mouth. The shape and form of the pillars is similar to the pillars in the crypt of Lastingham church


Made of wood CEDD ABBIE LASTINGA FUNDATOR AD 654 OBIT AD 664 ET SEPTULTUS EST ?N ECCLESIA A DEXTRA ALTARIS (Not sure this is even good Latin) My translation is: Founder of lastingham in AD 654, died in AD 664 The church will sustain (My interpretation) Ecclesia - Church Dextra from Dexter - right handed or the right to Altaris from Alo Altum to nourish or sustain

Close up of the stone work above the wooden plinth
Quite primitive stone work

The church is is the distance. This is a bridge and the well is to the right.
The YNR plaque is right and the end of the left hand wall.

I have a feeling that this is to do with railways!
I could be wrong!

There will be a link to the Lastingham memorial and also to the church - fascinating places - got to be a second look.

Sunday, 25 November 2012

Ignioc Stone - St. Clement, Cornwall

Close to the entrance to the church at St Clement stands the Ignioc Stone, A detailed description of the scant information relating to this stone is here. Examination is persuasive that the top cross is considerably later. However the inscription is visible.

"VITALI FILI TORRICI" Vitalus son of Torricus

Thomas/1994, 244, caption to 15.7: `Note angle-bar A...and use of Demetian-originating horizontal I'.

Thomas/1994, 245, notes that this is the only Dumnonian inscription that uses an angle-bar A in a Latin-name.(from the above website)

(I have used Wiki links to supplement the information above- The pictures are all mine of course)

There are some comments about the validity of the Latin in the above website. The stone is dated approx 500 AD. The Romans had left Britain then. There influence was huge - but it seems that the inscription had been largely Celtic.

The Ignioc Stone
First scheduled as a National Monument
22nd March 1932 when it stood in the
vicarage drive from which it was
moved and re-erected here 8
November 1938. Rescheduled January 1939

The stone near the church

Just visible, the colour of the stone matches the church.

This path leads to beach. The whole aspect slopes down to the sea.
The grounds are unkempt - but it seems right and proper.

There will be a blog page dedicated to the church, the inside is extremely interesting and steeped in history. This is one place that must be visited to feel the antiquity and history.