Four Shire Stone facts for kids
The Four Shire Stone at the meeting point of Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and formerly also Worcestershire
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| Coordinates | 51°59′14.96″N 1°39′56.65″W / 51.9874889°N 1.6657361°W |
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| Material | Stonework |
| Height | 9 feet |
The Four Shire Stone is a special stone that marks a historic spot in England. It shows where four old English areas, called counties, used to meet. These counties were Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire. However, since 1931, only three of these counties meet at the stone because the borders of Worcestershire changed.
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What is the Four Shire Stone?
The Four Shire Stone isn't just one small stone. It's actually a tall monument, about nine feet high. It's built from a type of rock called Cotswold stone, which is common in that area.
Where is it Located?
You can find the Four Shire Stone in the middle of England. It's on the A44 road, at a T-junction. This spot is about one and a half miles east of a small town called Moreton-in-Marsh. Its exact location is 51°59′15″N 1°39′57″W / 51.98750°N 1.66583°W.
A Look Back in Time
The monument you see today was probably built in the 1700s. It's considered a "grade II listed building," which means it's an important historical structure. But there was an even older "4 Shire Stone" in the same area back in 1675. An old drawing from 1660 likely shows this earlier stone. A writer named Thomas Habington even mentioned it, saying it was "a thing rarely seen" to have a stone touch four different shires (another word for counties).
Counties and Parishes
The Four Shire Stone is where several local areas, called civil parishes, meet. These parishes are like small towns or villages.
- Moreton-in-Marsh is to the west, in Gloucestershire.
- Great Wolford is to the north, in Warwickshire.
- Little Compton is to the northeast, also in Warwickshire.
- Chastleton is to the southeast, in Oxfordshire.
- Evenlode is to the south, and it's now in Gloucestershire.
Before 1931, Evenlode was a "detached part" of Worcestershire. This means it was a piece of Worcestershire that was separated from the main part of the county. When Evenlode became part of Gloucestershire in 1931, the Four Shire Stone stopped being the meeting point for four counties. Now, only three counties meet there.
A Link to Middle-earth
Some people believe that the Four Shire Stone might have inspired a famous place in a book! The J. R. R. Tolkien Society thinks it gave J. R. R. Tolkien the idea for the "Three-Farthing Stone" in his book The Lord of the Rings. In Tolkien's story, the Shire, which is where the hobbits live, is divided into four parts called farthings. Three of these farthings meet at the "Three-Farthing Stone," which sounds a lot like the real Four Shire Stone!
