• Mill and Boundary Stones

In a couple of months’ time I’m leading the final section of the beating of the boundary of North Hill parish.  It’s the longest section at around 9 miles, and starts at the crossroad at Blackcoombe over to Clitters.  It’s all across the south-eastern part of Bodmin Moor, involving the crossing of streams, an abandoned railway track and marshy areas.  The route is marked by boundary stones, most of which are marked on the OS map.  Some are easy to spot, like the vertical granite posts.  Some are existing rocks on which the inscriptions have been carved.  So today it was a case of scouting the first few BSs.

En route up Shales Brook south of the track to Bearah Quarry, we found a couple of abandoned mill stones, one of which looked perfectly fine but the stonemason must have realised that it was flawed in some respect.

A little further up the slope, you could easily pass this boulder without spotting the inscription, especially if the light was dull.  (And I did clear away a bit of moss to expose it all.)

This is clearer: boundary rock ’12’, ‘RIL’ [= Rillaton Manor], ‘1846’.

No.’11’, ‘RIL’ ‘1846’ is carved on the largest slab of granite at the eastern end of Bearah Tor, from where you follow the toothed line of small granite stones to the east and by the modern stock-fence you will find an upright carved stone: ’10’, ‘RIL’, ‘1846’.

If you then follow the eye towards the leaning cheesewring on Kilmar Tor to the north, you will see the old quarry railway embankment.  Just the other side of it is another upright boundary stone: ‘9’, ‘RIL’, ‘1846’.