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Traveller's Rest stones


luasredline

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I've just had another look at the old map and I hadn't spotted the 3rd stone last time I looked.  It was very close to the Walton Lea's Lodge House which still stands today at the side of the main road.

I've just quickly marked up the map which shows them, I'm pretty sure yours could have been the one marked on the crossroads on left near the Lodge House

PS don't forget the Mansion and Lodge House shown on the map weren't there in 1860 though when the rest stone's were first sited.  They were built a few years later in 1864.   I wonder if the Crosfields used to get annoyed seeing Gilbert Greenall's name on the stone near their home every time they passed by it   :lol:  :lol: 

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Travellers%20Rest%20Stone%20Walton%20Lea
 

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Re the above newspaper article..... I have re-scanned it but as the original is so hard to read with it being a print from microfilm I have re-typed it all to create as 'easy to read' version.

Apologies for all the red text but I often come across things that have been copied from this forum and uploaded elsewhere on other sites by people to I wanted to make it clear that this is NOT the actual original scan :D

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Travellers%20Rests%201859%20Kendrick%20W

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Well done Dizz and a great piece of detective work, I take back all that I said about them being used  for mounting and dismounting horses, as they say ' the proof of the pudding is in the eating, you really have worked hard in your research.

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Get yourself down here for a weekend Tracey and we can go a hunting :wink: 
As for Evils suggestion of a walking holiday well you can count me out of that as I already need a lie down after looking all over the old maps then my long virtual walks on google street view :lol:

I've found a few more Travellers Rest stones marked on a map heading the other way but can't quite figure out (yet) exactly where they would have been in todays layout other than near Thelwall and Lymm.  Unless they had inscriptions to show what they were and their age though chances are they are probably buried under the foundations of some housing development or broken up and a feature of someones garden rockery.  Of course they could have been moved too like the Gilbert Greenall inscribed one has been a few times now.

I think I'll go back to the library and see what else I can find................

Perhaps Gary could do a news story too about about the Greenall's one being moved to Walton Gardens and include our findings about them so far as I'm sure most people who have seen or passed the ones around Grappenhall and Walton every day have no idea what they are and would find it interesting.    This forum seems to be the only place with any real info about them too (aren't we all clever :D ).  Even my other half is finding it all interesting with there being one near us and that's a first for him to be interested in local history !!  
Gary could also ask readers to keep a look out for any others on their travels and to report back to us if they spot any.  
Was that a big enough hint Gary ? :lol:

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There is one in Lymm, outside the Shell filling station on Higher Lane,it was damaged when the filling station was built many years ago.

It is Grade 2 listed, mid Victorian, of sandstone. Monolithic with 2 steps at each end. The front is inscribed in Roman capitals TRAVELLERS REST. MARY RIDGEWAY. A NEPHEW'S AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE.  see http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle_print.aspx?uid=1226469&showMap=1&showText=1

 

It is directly opposite Lymm Baptist Church, which was founded by the Ridgeway family !!

 

 

 

 

post-3902-0-01964200-1433338594_thumb.jpg

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I think this thread is fast becoming one of my favourites on this forum! 

 

That's great Joe - just what we need, a compilation of photos of other stones.

 

I'm already planning a week in Warrington in August, if there are any still unphotographed then I'd be happy to have a wander and do it. I'm sure the kids would love trudging around looking at old stones  8)

 

Which map are you using Dizzy? Are they still marked on a modern OS map or do I need to get hold of an old one?

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Fantastic Joe !! 

That's one of the ones that I was trying to find that I spotted on the old map this morning.  It said 'Chapel House Baptist Church & Burial Ground' next to it on the map but I wasn't too sure where that was.  How lovely that the nephew had his aunts name put on one outside the church that their family founded.  Marvelous info and thanks :D :D

Interesting to see that it's Grade 2 listed and I wonder why the others aren't?  I suppose it could be because some don't have inscriptions or have completely worn off over time but of course the Gilbert Greenall one does that I uploaded a pic of and that we have since been told has now been moved from Walton Lea to Walton Gardens.  Perhaps the council should apply for that one to be Grade II listed too :D   

Saying that maybe they have to be in their exact and original positions to be listed as is the case with your one.

I notice the listing refers to it as a 'mounting block' too.  Shame there is no mention about it being being for weary foot travellers so sit and rest on.  Kendrick and the poor souls have been forgotten about until now :D:lol:   

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Here's the section of the old map that shows Joe's "Travellers' Rest".   Interesting that that one is actually marked as a 'Travellers Rest' on the map rather than 'Stone' like the ones nearer to me.   I wonder if that's because it has an actual inscription on as I can;t see anything on the one near me.

Travellers%20Rest%20Lymm%20Mary%20Ridgew

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I vaguely remember one near to  the junction of Camsley Lane / Stockport Road / Lymm Road at Thelwall. Going from Lymm towards Warrington just past Warrington Road (the road to Statham Lodge) on the left hand side, If I recall correctly it was set back slightly from the road.

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I think if they were more for horse riders you would expect them to be near pubs,springs or horse troughs ,a place or convenience that would encourage the rider to dismount. Just at the side of the road you would think they were for the pedestrian traveller.

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Are the majority of these stones randomly placed as at road junctions to be noticed or are they actually practically placed near springs or hostelries for dis/mounting horses ?

 

 

I think if they were more for horse riders you would expect them to be near pubs,springs or horse troughs ,a place or convenience that would encourage the rider to dismount. Just at the side of the road you would think they were for the pedestrian traveller.

Davy, like Tracey has already pointed out Kendricks newspaper articles and letters do appear to make it quite clear that they were intended for the poorer pedestrian travellers on foot to sit and rest on.

 

His letter and news clippings also show that they were NOT randomly placed but were put at spots where, in his opinion, they were very much needed so seemingly a lot of though had gone into the position of them.

 

I did wonder about the road junctions though too though when I'd looked at the old map as other than the one at Lymm the others we so far know about DO seem to be on junctions.

 

I wondered if those being main junctions at the time also had mile posts on them as they would have been heavily used by travelers on foot and by cart/horseback etc so maybe they would have been good spots for them as after all if you are sat on a horse or a cart you can easily continue to the nearest hostelry, pub or watering hole but on foot seeing a crossroad and mile post may have made walkers think 'bloody hell look how much further it is ...' and they may have become very disheartened.

 

It's very frustrating though as the only map year that seems to have them actually marked on is the one surveyed in 1873-76 and it's a Cheshire map so only shows the area south of what was the original course of the River Mersey around here so doesn't cover the whole routes to Prescott or Manchester. The maps for those areas are a much later date than that and don't show them :(

 

I've just read through the other letter from Dr Kendrick that I found on microfilm (dated 1860) to the Editor of the Warrington Guardian and in his update on the progress Kendrick states that...

 

"......the borough itself has been supplied with as many as it can possibly require and the high road from here to Prescot has received them at an average distance of two miles apart"

 

and he also states that

 

".......I have [genuine?] hopes that the whole line of road from Manchester will be fully supplied with the “Travellers’ Rests”.

 

He also goes on to say that

 

"I learn from friends at a distance that my suggestion is being acted upon everywhere. It has also been favourably noticed in several provincial newspapers and I have received spontaneous offers of assistance from the editors of three established periodicals"

 

I'll type the whole letter up and upload it later.

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I vaguely remember one near to  the junction of Camsley Lane / Stockport Road / Lymm Road at Thelwall. Going from Lymm towards Warrington just past Warrington Road (the road to Statham Lodge) on the left hand side, If I recall correctly it was set back slightly from the road.

Thanks Joe, I might go for a wander round there tomorrow to see if I can find it, if it's still there of course. :D

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