Enjoying coffee one morning at the Cock and Rabbit, by the village green at The Lee, my eye caught what looked like some sort of prehistoric standing stone. A little later I stepped outside to have a look. It’s clearly not a menhir, but in fact three chunky stones piled one on top of the other, and a further stone on the ground in front of the three. The Resident Wise Woman, a quick hand with online maps, has already identified them as ‘the Pudding Stones’ and was busily reading about them online as I took a photograph.
I’m no expert in geology, but I’d come across puddingstone when reading about building materials. It’s a form of conglomerate stone, in which numerous small pebbles are fused together by a kind of natural cement made of sand and silica. The result resembles a geological plum pudding, hence the name. The stone is not uncommon in Hertfordshire and in the Chilterns (where we were at the time), and often occurs in the form of large lumps, moved around aeons ago by glaciers. Big pieces of the material have sometimes been left in place as landmarks, or heaped up to make a still more striking effect.
Puddingstone looks unusual and must have been puzzling to people in earlier times. This has led to nicknames such as ‘witch stones’, suggesting magical or healing powers, or an ability to ward off evil spirits. People have carried bits of puddingstone around with them, or placed them at the thresholds of their houses to protect themselves or their family. Now puddingstones are treated mostly as attractive local curiosities. When I’d taken my photograph, the Wise Woman reported that she’d even found an online review of The Lee Puddingstones – apparently they’re perfect for a family day out|! I doubt if most families would spend a day looking at four stones, but it you combined them with a meal at the Cock and Rabbit and a walk around the local paths and lanes taking in the delightful countryside, you could perhaps do worse.
I’m no expert in geology, but I’d come across puddingstone when reading about building materials. It’s a form of conglomerate stone, in which numerous small pebbles are fused together by a kind of natural cement made of sand and silica. The result resembles a geological plum pudding, hence the name. The stone is not uncommon in Hertfordshire and in the Chilterns (where we were at the time), and often occurs in the form of large lumps, moved around aeons ago by glaciers. Big pieces of the material have sometimes been left in place as landmarks, or heaped up to make a still more striking effect.
Puddingstone looks unusual and must have been puzzling to people in earlier times. This has led to nicknames such as ‘witch stones’, suggesting magical or healing powers, or an ability to ward off evil spirits. People have carried bits of puddingstone around with them, or placed them at the thresholds of their houses to protect themselves or their family. Now puddingstones are treated mostly as attractive local curiosities. When I’d taken my photograph, the Wise Woman reported that she’d even found an online review of The Lee Puddingstones – apparently they’re perfect for a family day out|! I doubt if most families would spend a day looking at four stones, but it you combined them with a meal at the Cock and Rabbit and a walk around the local paths and lanes taking in the delightful countryside, you could perhaps do worse.
No comments:
Post a Comment