Boundary Stones on Alston Moor · AditNow Community

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

John Lawson
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

Looking through my copy of part of the Greenwich Hospital's estate plans of Alston Moor, I noticed boundary stones are shown on it.
No 10 is listed Nag's Head and seems to be in the area where the old Nenthead smelter chimney once stood. Also on the plan are stones, 9,8,7,6,5,4 & 3.
I assume these were put in place to show where the mining area of Alston moor lay?
Has anyone seen any of these marker stones?

Wanna join the discussion?! Login to your AditNow Community forum account or Register a new forum account

Brooks
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

I Haven't been to the stone by the chimney, but there is a boundary stone near Perry's Dam with an 'A' on one side and 'P' on the other (Presumably A for Alston Moor and P for Priorsdale.

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

I seem to recall reading about somebody roaming around the moor looking for them but I cannot unfortunately think where I would have read it.

An old British Mining or even an NMRS newsletter maybe? Or perhaps an edition of the Mine Explorer or a CAT newsletter? Will have a look when I get chance.

polo
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

Boundary Stones are what they say - historic boundary markers between two land owners. Boundaries are marked in straight lines with a stone often marking a change in direction. They are found all over the place!

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

I think that is commonly understood but they would also be placed by mining companies to delineate royalties.

There are I think LLC ones on Alston Moor. Here's a recently uploaded photo of an LLC one elsewhere in the UK.

🔗Maeshafn-Grosvenor-Shaft-Lead-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-98661[linkphoto]Maeshafn-Grosvenor-Shaft-Lead-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-98661[/linkphoto][/link]

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

RJV, you might be think of something Wayne sent us a couple of years back ?

He doesn't use the site very often, but I'm sure he won't object to me attaching it here. Its got some locations and photos of 4 stones between Bentyfield and Nenthead, although not sure if they are the ones in question here ?

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/documents/Personal-Album-859/Boundary-Stones.pdf

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

Also found this reference in a 2010 NMRS newsletter.

Boundary Stone
I walked recently around part of the Wear watershed
in the northern Pennines, and at Scraith Head
(NY791369), below Burnhope Seat, came across a
restored boundary stone. Dated 1880, it is inscribed
EC, DC and GH. I presume EC is for Ecclesiastical
Commissioners and GH Greenwich Hospital but I
wonder if any member knows what DC stands for?
Also when was the stone put back together ? It had
been on the ground in two pieces on previous visits.
Phil Clayton

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

Thanks Chris, that might be it though I seem to recall text rather than photographs. I'll have a think but I may simply be confused with something else...

polo
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

10 years ago

"RJV" wrote:
I think that is commonly understood but they would also be placed by mining companies to delineate royalties.

The stones are only placed by land owners. If the mining companies are landowners so be it. This is detailed in the Durham County Council's publication Durham in Time on Weardale Lead Mining.

Royalty payments are made by the mining company to the landowner.

John Lawson
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

10 years ago

#10

Thanks for the directions guys.
The pictures are very interesting, as the Governor & Company are another name for the LLC and the date 1849 co-includes the date of the royalty map, which is around 1840,
The BF will be the Bentyfield Company, which was a split lease with the LLC.
The stones I am referring to, may probably, as has been suggested, mark the boundary between Priorsdale and Alston Moor. The LLC bought the former around 1820, paid for by the profits of the discovery of a large flat at Ashgill. Hence royalties on ore here would go to them and not the Hospital.