Re: Bolt Stone | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Shropshire 5

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Claverley!

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morfe Aug 22, 2006 16:29:58

Replying to nigelswift

Hi Nigel, the Bolt Hole is a house so named, nearby Tuckhill, and as such strictly private. The residents at the time I enquired didn't have any knowledge of the missing stone (or of it's mention), I think (apart from the Stewponey book references) the history of the stone (if it existed) is obscure enough to require some further verification and localising before beginning to wander the fields and hedges, although fields and hedges are always fun to wander :-)

It's tough with just one book to go by. Maybe someone at the local farm (Tuckhill) might have some knowledge passed down?

Let me know please if you turn anything up...

regards,

morfe

nigelswift Aug 22, 2006 16:48:37

Replying to morfe

Thanks Morfe. I'll definitely wander. You never know. And ask around. I know the vicar (of Claverley) who also looks after the Tuck Hill church, he might know something. He's so darn trendy he may well be a Pagan!

I had a horrible thought. I do hope the Bolt Hole wasn't so named because it was built over the hole from which the Bolt stone was removed! Maybe i should ask to look in their cellar.

I'll let you know, for certain.

wideford Aug 22, 2006 16:54:11

Replying to morfe

Oldmaps shows the placename as Boathole in the mid-19th century, after the stone was likely moved - if it should be read as Boat Stone (Like the Ladykirk Stone in Orkney was St.Magnus Boat) then things become a lot more interesting.

nigelswift Feb 16, 2011 07:04:53

Replying to morfe

Morfe et al ......

As requested, I've been dutifully looking for the past five years (!!) and have found reference to the Bolt Stone not at Tuck Hill but at Compton near Kinver
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:8fZVgum1E8sJ:www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/jabez-allies/the-british-roman-and-saxon-antiquities-and-folklore-of-worcestershire-ala/page-13-the-british-roman-and-saxon-antiquities-and-folklore-of-worcestershire-ala.shtml+%22pigeon+house+estate%22+kinver&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&source=www.google.co.uk

You can click on "directions" here http://www.bdwestmidlands.co.uk/company-details.asp?bn=T+R+Brown+%26+Son&bid=127708 for the exact location of Pigeon House Farm.

The farm is high on a hill with a view of Kinver Edge as a panorama, so the idea of it having been thrown from there by a giant is much more tempting than the Tuck Hill location.

Note, it WAS sandstone. I wonder if it was actually a sticking up rock rather than a standing stone. I can't recall many individual red sandstone rocks around there. There's a big exposed sandstone knoll at the crossroads at the bottom of the hill from the farm, I can well believe there were others.

I've spoken to the people at Pigeon House Farm, who know nothing of it. However, the farm is now only 50 acres and the Pigeon House Estate was much more extensive. So there's more door knocking and searching to be done.