Off the Mark

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I’m supposed to be revising right now, but it does you good to have a little diversion now and again. So, just a quickie but it’s an interesting one. On my way to Wall last Monday, I spotted this marker stone outside Redlock Cottage on the Birmingham Rd. As this isn’t too far from the route that the Wyrley and Essington canal once took through Lichfield, I assumed that it was some sort of boundary marker, with ‘L.C’ standing for ‘Lichfield Canal’, possibly salvaged by previous owners of the cottage when this stretch of the Curly Wyrley was filled in.

LC marker

Turns out my theory was as rubbish as a shopping trolley at the bottom of the cut. Christine Howles, one of the Lichfield & Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust’s volunteers, reminded me on Facebook that the name ‘Lichfield Canal’ only came in to use when the trust started their restoration work. So, what else could ‘L.C’ stand for? Having done a bit of digging (her pun, not mine!), Christine thought it may be part of a boundary marker for the Lichfield Conduit Lands, with an ‘L’ missing?

As I was writing this, I remembered that back in October 2013, on one of our Lichfield Discovered walks around Leomansley, my friend and neighbour Kerry showed me a mystery stone that had turned up in her garden….marked with a letter L. I’ll blame a head full of phonology for not making the association sooner but surely there is some connection between these two stones? Really do need to book myself in for a week at L.R.O. After the exams though, must concentrate on those kinds of marks first….

leomansley stone 2

 

14 thoughts on “Off the Mark”

  2. Trying to picture where they are, could they be city or old county boundary markers? …..must get the maps out

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    • I think that might be the way to work this out. Does leave you wondering if there are more out there too, doesn’t it?

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      • It’s just a thought…Lichfield had its own Sherriff and Corporation from 1500s till into 1800s and the local council was known as. Lichfield Corporation…LC ?? Then changed names under various reforms…the lettering looks Georgan Victorian…..there must be more out there….

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      • Good point. Someone else suggested it may stand for ‘Lichfield City’. I wonder if they did mark the city boundary. yes, must be more out there and if found they might just help us work out what they’re for!

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      • Ahhh the Corporation changed in 1836 and the Bailiff became a Mayor, but they kept the Sherriff and the City and County continued until 1974 changes.
        Scanning around, lots of maps of Licfield but nothing with a boundry…however on brownhills Bobs page re lost pub of brown hills there is a map with what looks like the boundry…go to the page and scroll down…looks interesting (maybe Bob can help as to where it has come from)…do our stones match the boundry??? the one near the canal might!?

        The lost pub of Pipehill

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  5. There is a few of these markers round lichfield if you were in leomansly woods as far right as you can possibly get walking towards the restored house there is a little wood in the middle of a farmers field its being a long time since i saw the stone but it was very random inscription on it also opposite this wood if you looking towards burntwood where the old conduit building was restored there is another stone by the fence running along the back of maples hayes i know of a few more but theres a few to get you started.

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