Wibdon Broadstone

Standing Stone / Menhir
ST577972

Also known as:

Monument No. 198692 and Stroat Broad Stone or Severn Stone

Nearest town:

Chepstow (6km SW)

OS reference:

ST577972

OS sheet:

162

Latitude:

51° 40' 17.26 N

Longitude:

2° 36' 42.33 W

Added to TMA by

RedBrickDream

Images (2)
Fieldnotes (2)
Folklore (1)
Miscellaneous (1)
Topics (2)

Images

Image of Wibdon Broadstone (Standing Stone / Menhir) by Ike

Railway removed. Looking towards the River Severn

Image credit: Ike

Ike Mar 13, 2005

9 Feet Tall.

Image credit: Ike

Ike Mar 13, 2005

Articles

Wibdon Broadstone

Standing Stone / Menhir

CARL Jun 17, 2010

On a number of occasions I have tried to spot this stone from the A48 which runs to the west – failed every time. So, only one thing for it – I suggested to my better half that it would be nice to have a day out which didn’t involve ‘old stones’. How about a train trip to Gloucester and look around the shops? You can guess the rest!!!

Wibdon Broadstone

Standing Stone / Menhir

RedBrickDream Jan 6, 2003

Spotted this from, of all places a seat on the 10:25 Cardiff to London train, diverted around the Severn because the tunnel was closed. 5 minutes out of Chepstow on the left hand side when travelling east was a quite unmistakable standing stone.

The stone is approximately 50 feet away from the line and looks as if it’s at least 5 foot high. After checking the OS map I’ve found this is recorded as “the broadstone” (as if there’s not enough of those already on this site!). From the impression I gleaned from the train window this is a big old fella’ of a stone which looks out across the severn. Spotting or Snapping it from a moving train will be a challenge for TMA-ers and will certainly enliven my next journey on this line. Access on foot looks as if it would be from High Hall Farm at Wibdon on the A48 about three miles out of Chepstow.

Wibdon Broadstone

Standing Stone / Menhir

Rhiannon Mar 4, 2005

The Broad Stone is mentioned in Waters’ ‘Folklore and Dialect of the Wye Valley’ (1973). It is is said to have been chucked here from Tidenham Chase (maybe somewhere here? c. ST557959) as part of a stone-throwing contest between Jack O’ Kent and the Devil. (Yes, they were always having stone throwing contests. But this was before the advent of television and you had to make your own entertainment then).

Another stone is supposed to have landed at Thornbury (I’m assuming that’s the Thornbury across the Severn – an especially good throw, though I can’t see the stone on the map. Do you know where it was supposed to have landed?

Hmm perhaps it was at the nuclear power station?

Wibdon Broadstone

Standing Stone / Menhir

Chance Apr 11, 2016

Details of stone on Pastscape

(ST 5776 9723) Broad Stone (NR) (1) A standing stone, 8 1/2ft high, 1 1/4’ thick, and 5 1/2’ wide at the base tapering to a point at the apex (see M XI (a)). Its position, on the severn alluvium and facing the river, is unusual, and it may well have marked a crossing at this point. Bradeston (1269 Minn Acct): le Brodestone 1320 Ass.). (2-3)
The standing stone at ST 5776 9724 measures 2.7m high by 3.5m wide at the base, tapering to a point and 0.16m thick. A few packing stones are visible around the base. See GP. Published survey (25”) correct. (4)