Record Details

NHER Number:45365
Type of record:Monument
Name:Glacial erratic boulder

Summary

A glacial erratic boulder stands on the grass triangle outside the watermill. Local folklore states that it marks the centre of Norfolk, but this belief has not been traced before the 20th century. The boulder may have been acquired by an antiquarian who lived at the mill house in the 1890s.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 97804 16870
Map Sheet:TF91NE
Parish:HOE, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Glacial erratic boulder on grass triangle outside watermill.
Local folklore states that this stone marks the centre of Norfolk but this belief has not been traced before the 20th century.
A local antiquarian, Dr. Puddy recorded that the triangle of land that contains the stone was formed around the time of the Inclosure Act in 1815 but does not mention the stone (S1).
A search of historic maps indicates that the stone does not appear on the Hoe Tithe Map (S2) or the First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (S3), but the word "stone" does appear on an unsourced map accessed via www.oldmaps.co.uk and stated to date to 1891.
A letter written to the Eastern Daily Press newspaper in 2002 (S4) states that the stone was in this location in the late 1920's. However, it does not appear on the 1928 Ordnance Survey map. The Ordnance Survey did usually mark large stones at that time, but it's possible that this one may have been overlooked.
Dr. Puddy lived at the Mill House around the 1890's and many stone objects from his antiquarian collection remain at the mill. It's possible that he may have aquired the boulder and placed it in its present location but there is no known documentation to support this.
Information from correspondence (S5).
E. Rose (NLA), 5 July 2006.
Updated H. Hamilton (HES), 01 May 2019.

Monument Types

  • STONE (Unknown date)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

<S1>Publication: Puddy, Dr. E.. [unknown]. The watermill of the Chappell of St. Nicholas of Rougholm in Gressenhall, otherwise known as Chapel Mill.
<S2>Map: 1840. Tithe Award Map.
<S3>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1883. First edition six inch map.
<S4>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2002. [Letters to the editor on the 'Norfolk Pole'].
<S5>Correspondence: Macnab-Grieve, G.. 2002. Email.

Related records - none

Norfolk County Council logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo

Powered by HBSMR-web and the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd, and mojoPortal CMS
© 2007 - 2024 Norfolk Historic Environment Service