The Village Stone
The Village Stone, is estimated to weigh between 3-4 tonnes and was found in the 1800's in a pit on the “High Field”, between the Shropham and Harling Roads, which was land owned at the time by Walter Kerridge of North Farm.
This type of boulder which is made from calcareous sandstone is commonly referred to as “an erratic”, a boulder that was deposited during the last ice age. There is at least one other local large stone of similar structure, which can be found by the entrance gates at Merton Hall.
It was dragged three quarters of a mile to the Village Green, (where it still sits) by John Pinner in about 1880. It was first turned in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
Some people suggest it could have been used as a sharpening stone, but we do know that it was turned for the end of the Boer War (1902) and for Edward VII ‘s coronation in the same year, so maybe it has always been something of a curio.
Since then the Stone has been turned on several occasions: 1977 - Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee (filmed by Anglia TV), 1995 - 50th Anniversary of VE Day, 2000 - Millennium Celebrations....
The Village Stone being turned in 1995 (Silver Jubilee)
Some of the contents of the Time Capsule that were under the Village Stone in 1995
The last turning took place on April 13th 2008, to mark the Village winning their battle against the Forestry Commission's proposals for turning Hockham Woods (316 acres of forestry and woodland) into a quarry and subsequently landfilling it. Watch the HAWITAGE video "A Celebration" turning the stone in the Links section...
The next scheduled turning is likely to be on the coronation of a new monarch.
BBC Radio Norfolk’s Treasure Quest came to the Village on Sunday 28th September 2008. Treasure Quest is a weekly challenge which this time saw BBC Radio Norfolk's reporter Sophie Price hunting out a clue hidden under the Village Stone, ably assisted by David Clayton in the studio. The Village Stone was the 1st clue in their hunt, see the other photos and listen to the episode in the Links section...
Christine Woodsford, Chris Garrod & Sophie Price (BBC Radio Norfolk) pictured after finding the Treasure Quest clue under the Village Stone