| Description | Boundary Stone, Pole Moor (SE 07276 15899).
One of a series of boundary stones depicted on current OS mapping (OS Master Map. 2011) marking the ancient township boundaries between Scammonden, Slaithwaite and Golcar. The stones were present on the OS 6' 1st edition map of c.1850 (sheet 245) and their position has not changed since their inclusion on the more detailed OS 25' 1st edition of c.1894 where they defined the 'LBD' boundary. The group, which follow the continuous boundary which crosses Pole Moor and Worts Hill (SE 07340 15800 to SE 06491 157570) are unusual in the extent of their survival. Together they form the short remnant section of a continuous line which continued across Dean Head Moor and Black Heath Moor several kilometres to the west.
Stones such as these were formerly used to mark boundaries across stretches of land undefined by physical boundaries such as roads, walls or rivers. Therefore, it is possible they predate the enclosure of this part of Pole Moor which they cross.
An archaeological assessment was made of two of the stones forming part of this group at SE 07110 15949 and SE 06871 15872 (see PRN1245 and PRN12346). The stones are simple, crudely shaped, local gritstone pillars c.1.2m high by c.0.5m wide (roughly square in profile). A single face of each stone roughly carved with the initials 'D + L'.
Photographic images of the two boundary stones above are held in WYAAS digital image archives (Lunn, K.R. 2013. \\WYJS HER FS01\HERPhotos\Slaithwaite\Slaithwaite. PRN12345. Boundary Stone. SE0687115872. Field visit 24.06.2013 and Lunn, K.R. 2013.\\WYJS HER FS01\HERPhotos\Slaithwaite\Slaithwaite. PRN12346. Boundary Stone. SE0711015949. Field visit 24.06.2013). |