Whetstones (stone circle)
Encyclopedia
The Whetstones are, or were, a stone circle
beneath Corndon Hill
on the border of Powys
, Wales
and Shropshire
, England
. They lie immediately to the west of the village of White Grit
and close to Priestweston
. The site is also a short distance from the better-known Hoarstones
and Mitchell's Fold
circles.
The circle was largely destroyed in the 19th century, and only a few fragments now remain. An 1841 account described them as even then fragmentary, but comprising three main stones, then "leaning, owing to the soft and boggy nature of the soil. They stand equidistant and assume a circular position [...] The highest of these is four feet above the surface; one foot six inches in thickness, and three feet in width." In 1860, the antiquarian
Robert William Eyton
still referred to the Whetstones as a "remarkable monument", but they were later stated to have been dug up, and the stones incorporated into a boundary wall, in about 1870. Aubrey Burl
notes that "nearly all of its stones were blown up in the 1860s [...] when the last stone was uprooted around 1870 charcoal and bones were seen".
The remnants of the circle can still be observed from an adjacent field boundary, or from the northern summit of Corndon Hill. Large stones are also visible now forming a boundary next to a footpath, which were probably also once incorporated in the circle.
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
beneath Corndon Hill
Corndon Hill
Corndon Hill is a hill in Powys, Mid Wales, whose summit rises to 513 m above sea level.It is surrounded on three sides by the English county of Shropshire and forms a prominent landmark in the Wales-England border...
on the border of Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They lie immediately to the west of the village of White Grit
White Grit
White Grit is a small, scattered village beneath Corndon Hill in Powys, Wales, directly on the border with Shropshire. The nearby village of Priest Weston despite being in England actually lies to the west of White Grit....
and close to Priestweston
Priestweston
Priestweston is a small village in the civil parish of Chirbury with Brompton, Shropshire, England, lying in the Welsh Marches. Its name is based on the Old English for "western settlement ", with the affix priest in reference to the estate of the Prior of Chirbury at Weston Parva...
. The site is also a short distance from the better-known Hoarstones
Hoarstones
The Hoarstones is a stone circle in the civil parish of Chirbury with Brompton in the English county of Shropshire. It has 38 stones, all less than a metre high. There are two small mounds in the north-west of the circle that may be the remnants of barrows....
and Mitchell's Fold
Mitchell's Fold
Mitchell's Fold is a Bronze Age stone circle in South-West Shropshire, located in the village of White Grit on dry heathland at the south-west end of Stapeley Hill in the civil parish of Chirbury with Brompton, at a height of 1083 ft o.d.It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the...
circles.
The circle was largely destroyed in the 19th century, and only a few fragments now remain. An 1841 account described them as even then fragmentary, but comprising three main stones, then "leaning, owing to the soft and boggy nature of the soil. They stand equidistant and assume a circular position [...] The highest of these is four feet above the surface; one foot six inches in thickness, and three feet in width." In 1860, the antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
Robert William Eyton
Robert William Eyton
-Life and career:Robert William Eyton was born in 1815. He was the son of Reverend John Eyton. He was educated at Bridgnorth Grammar School in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Eyton then went up to Christ Church College, Oxford. He went on to become the Rector at Ryton, Shropshire. He married Mary Watts in...
still referred to the Whetstones as a "remarkable monument", but they were later stated to have been dug up, and the stones incorporated into a boundary wall, in about 1870. Aubrey Burl
Aubrey Burl
Harry Aubrey Woodruff Burl MA, DLitt, PhD, FSA, HonFSA Scot is a British archaeologist most well known for his studies into megalithic monuments and the nature of prehistoric rituals associated with them. Prior to retirement he was Principal Lecturer in Archaeology, Hull College, East Riding of...
notes that "nearly all of its stones were blown up in the 1860s [...] when the last stone was uprooted around 1870 charcoal and bones were seen".
The remnants of the circle can still be observed from an adjacent field boundary, or from the northern summit of Corndon Hill. Large stones are also visible now forming a boundary next to a footpath, which were probably also once incorporated in the circle.