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Jane, thought you might like this or be able to fit it into your ideas about all your stones round Churchill. I read it in an ancient tome ("The Proceedings of the Bath Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club" for 1891). They were always trotting off round the country by the sound of it. Maybe he's talking about one of the stones at Churchill, but then why say Sarsden? Anyway:

"At Sarsden in Oxfordshire there are fields called Qualmstones; they are marked by a large stone to which a legend is attached of a sheep stealer being strangled by the stone catching on the rope on which the sheep was slung and so strangling him.. Qualm is the old English word for death or pestilence, and there are throughout England many such large stones to which in times of pestilence provisions were brought to the infected districts.." (etc, he mentions Eyam as example).

By the way, nice shot of Corndon and Mitchell's fold. I trust you had a nice time.

There's an old cross at Sarsden and its VERY close to Churchill - I wonder if this is what it refers to? I'll see what else I can find....

Mitchell's Fold was great! We took lots of photos for you and I did a little sketch, too, (which I haven't had time to scan in and upload yet) with that lovely hill in the background.
J
x

That exact same story is told about the Hanging stone near Alton Barnes,
PeteG

Just found this...

'Very little is known about the origins of the name of the village of Sarsden but down the centuries Churchill has had several names, such as, Cercelle, Churchell. Cherchell and finally, by 1537, Churchill. It is thought that it may be derived from the Old English 'cyrc', which means a hill, burying ground or barrow.'

Well, well...