Boundary Markers

Boundaries have always mattered to people; from arguments over garden walls to wars over disputed territories, they still arouse passions. Locally many today prefer not to think that Saddleworth is in the alien county of Greater Manchester – and we are happy to include the many stones in Saddleworth (and in those other parts of the old county lost in 1974) in our Yorkshire database. Local boundaries tended to follow the course of rivers or hilltop ridges, and on the latter and other less definable lines boundary stones can still be found.

Within counties it is now thought that the basic unit was the township (though some were further divided into smaller districts with various names, eg hamlets and divisions). For ecclesiastical purposes townships were often combined into parishes especially in less populated areas. In the relatively unpopulated or infertile parts of the North some parishes, eg Halifax and Rochdale, were very large: Halifax, for example, comprised 23 townships. In the south it was more common to have single-township parishes.

[Another division of the old counties (or shires) was the ‘hundred’ – an area capable of providing 100 men if conflict arose. In Yorkshire (and certain other counties) these districts were known as wapentakes – a Scandinavian term possibly relating to the displaying of weapons. These names rarely feature on boundary stones.]

Boundary disputes could arise for many reasons, but one was the obligation on the parish/township/hamlet to keep its roads in good repair – from an Act of Parliament of 1555. Boundary markers thus became important for administrative purposes.

One such is recorded between two Huddersfield hamlets, Bradley and Firtown (Fartown), and another (now displayed at the Tolson Museum in the town) reads “Here parts Fixby and Firtown”. (Fixby was one of the 23 townships in Halifax parish). Both stones are dated 1701 and were erected following boundary disputes.

The 19th century saw the beginnings of the local government system that survived until 1974, with the creation of municipal boroughs, urban sanitary districts (local boards), Urban and Rural District Councils, County Councils and County Boroughs. Yorkshire has examples of stones erected by all these different bodies, who often put their names on them.

The 19th century was also a time of church-building: new churches were built all over the country. All had precisely defined boundaries, different from those of the civil parishes. They were also often marked by boundary stones and are referred to here as chapelry boundary stones.

In addition to local government and ecclesiastical boundaries many individuals and official bodies felt the need to mark their property with boundary stones. The owners of large estates put their initials on stones, and canal and railway companies and turnpike trusts did likewise. Government bodies such as the War Department and the Ministry of Works also made their mark on stones and buildings across the country.

For more information and photographs click on the links to articles below.

Terminology found on boundary stones

Boundary disputes

Divisions of townships

Foiling invaders: Way- and boundary-markers at war

Chapelry boundary stones

Industrial boundary markers

NORTH RIDING

Teesdale Way parish boundary markers

WEST RIDING

West Riding: now in Greater Manchester

Saddleworth boundary stones