The Many Uses of Stone

A fairly random collection of photographs from Ethiopia (Lalibela), Sweden, Greece, China (The Great Wall) and Dorset.

The stone altar is at the little church or chapel of St Bartholomew, near Corton Farm, Coryates.

The Shrine of St. Wite, with the three oval openings for the healing of the sick (early 13th century) beneath the stone coffin with a Purbeck marble top, which contains the relics of St. Wite, is at the Church of St. Candida (St. Wite) and Holy Cross, Whitchurch Canonicorum. According to Canon Syer's little guidebook, "no other parish church in England has the relics of its patron saint in a shrine within its walls."

The grave-stones are at Holy Trinity Church, Bradpole and at Whitcombe Church. The font is at Whitcombe Church.

The staddle stone (in situ) was photographed at Coryates.

It was sad to see other old staddle stones waiting to be put under the auctioneer's hammer.

According to Wikipedia:

"Staddle stones were originally used as supporting bases for granaries, hayricks, game larders, etc. The staddle stones lifted the granaries above the ground thereby protecting the stored grain from vermin and water seepage. In Middle English staddle or stadle is stathel, from Old English stathol, a foundation, support or trunk of a tree".

That's something I didn't know.