Three Shire Stone (Lake District)
Encyclopedia
The Three Shire Stone is a boundary stone
that marks the location where the historic English counties
of Lancashire
, Cumberland
and Westmorland
meet. The point is in the English Lake District
at the summit of Wrynose Pass
; latitude 54°25' North, longitude 3°7' West, elevation 1289 feet (393 m) above sea level
.
The limestone
monolith was cut in the Lancashire village of Cartmel
in 1816 for the Furness
roadmaster William Field; however, it was not erected until 1860, after his death.
In 1997, the stone was smashed into four pieces, probably as the result of a motor accident. It was restored in 1998 by stonemason Gordon Greaves of Troutbeck Bridge. The unveiling ceremony of the restored monument took place on 27 April 1998. The possible loss of the stone prompted organisations, including Friends of Real Lancashire
, to raise money for its restoration. The National Trust
moved the car park away from the restored stone, and placed some cobbles in the turf to mark the county boundaries radiating from it.
The front of the stone is inscribed with the word Lancashire. On the reverse side is the inscription W.F. 1816.
Boundary marker
A boundary marker, boundary stone or border stone is a robust physical marker that identifies the start of a land boundary or the change in a boundary, especially a change in a direction of a boundary...
that marks the location where the historic English counties
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of Lancashire
History of Lancashire
The History of Lancashire begins with its establishment as a county of England in 1182, making it one of the youngest of the historic counties of England.-Early history:In the Domesday Book, some of its lands had been treated as part of Yorkshire...
, Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
and Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
meet. The point is in the English Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
at the summit of Wrynose Pass
Wrynose Pass
The Wrynose Pass is a mountain pass in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England between the Duddon Valley and Little Langdale.-Road:...
; latitude 54°25' North, longitude 3°7' West, elevation 1289 feet (393 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
.
The limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
monolith was cut in the Lancashire village of Cartmel
Cartmel
Cartmel is a village in Cumbria, England, situated north-west of Grange-over-Sands and close to the River Eea. Historically it was in Lancashire; boundary changes brought it into the newly created county of Cumbria in 1974, yet keeping it within the boundaries of the traditional County Palatine...
in 1816 for the Furness
Furness
Furness is a peninsula in south Cumbria, England. At its widest extent, it is considered to cover the whole of North Lonsdale, that part of the Lonsdale hundred that is an exclave of the historic county of Lancashire, lying to the north of Morecambe Bay....
roadmaster William Field; however, it was not erected until 1860, after his death.
In 1997, the stone was smashed into four pieces, probably as the result of a motor accident. It was restored in 1998 by stonemason Gordon Greaves of Troutbeck Bridge. The unveiling ceremony of the restored monument took place on 27 April 1998. The possible loss of the stone prompted organisations, including Friends of Real Lancashire
Friends of Real Lancashire
The Friends of Real Lancashire are an outsider pressure group affiliated to the Association of British Counties calling for the wider recognition of the historic boundaries of Lancashire...
, to raise money for its restoration. The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
moved the car park away from the restored stone, and placed some cobbles in the turf to mark the county boundaries radiating from it.
The front of the stone is inscribed with the word Lancashire. On the reverse side is the inscription W.F. 1816.
External links
- Three Shire Stone at Lake District Tourism and Tourist Information