Harold’s Stones 2
Image by Meic
Harold’s Stones

The Pecket Stone

Has anybody heard of this stone in connection to Harold's Stones? There are a couple of references to a fourth stone that used to exist on common land until the 18th Century, but it's supposed to have been destroyed. Yet this reference on 'Legendary Dartmoor" speaks of it as though it still exists:

"Three other legends attached to the stones all concern Jack O' Kent who was a giant that lived on the Herefordshire/Monmouthshire borders. The first version tells how one day he was playing quoits on top of the Skirrid which resulted in him heaving four huge stones, three landed at Trellech and the fourth, known as the Pecket Stone landed near Lydart and still marks the parish boundary of Trellech."

Also, there's a reference made to this stone in a description of a local walk:

" Peckett Stone - New Mills - Whitebrook - Margaret Wood Nature Reserve - The Narth - Peckett Stone

On this walk we are on the Welsh side of the River Wye. Starting from the Pecket Stone, the walk follows the stream Whitebrook down nearly to river level, before climbing up through the village of Whitebrook as far as the Margaret Wood Nature Reserve. After climbing up through the reserve the walk continues through The Narth to return to the car park."

Does the pecket stone still exist? Is it the original fourth stone? I can't find any other significant reference to it on-line, nor does it appear on any on-line maps as far as I can see. I haven't got the OS map for that area, so I'm unable to check if it appears on there.

Hi Dok

Ive heard about this one before a friend of mine was just as curious about it but hes never checked it out heres a grid ref for the Pecket Stone SO504074
i'm off to work have fun!

peace

Tree

I paid a visit in January and took some picture of what may or may not be the remains of megaliths. I'll post 'em up when I get a chance. The tump's distinctly suspicious as well!

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/35396/folklore/harolds_stones.html
that's not very helpful because it says it's been moved.

Your post is 19 years old but hopefully you are still on here! I've moved to Lydart recently and came across a reference to the Pecket Stone and this post was one of the only references online I can find about it.

Reading about its location at the boundary of Trellech and the other 4 parishes, I think that places its location at a small parcel of land next to the Trellech-Monmouth road where there are a group of trees and a large stone marker with a plaque marking where the boundaries meet which you can see in this Geograph photo:

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/203161

The stone that the council used in the 1980s to fix the plaque to is a substantial size and interesting shape which I'd be surprised if they deliberately moved there just for the purpose of an information plaque. I'd say it was likely a large stone already in the vicinity which the Community Councils made use of. I'm wondering if this could be the Pecket Stone accidentally reused and hiding in plain site??

Nothing solid to back this theory up of course!