Leper Stone facts for kids
The Leper Stone, also known as the Newport Stone, is a very large stone found near the village of Newport, Essex, England. It is a type of rock called sarsen, which is a hard sandstone.
The name Leper Stone likely comes from a hospital that used to be nearby. This hospital, called St. Mary and St. Leonard, cared for people with leprosy. Leprosy is a serious skin disease. People passing by might have left gifts or money, called alms, in a small dip on top of the stone. These gifts would have helped the people at the hospital. The hospital land was sold many years ago, in the 1500s. Today, only a small part of a wall from the hospital remains near the stone.
What is the Leper Stone?
Many experts believe the Leper Stone was once a standing stone. A standing stone is a large stone that people deliberately placed upright in the ground a long time ago. It is also called a megalith (meaning "large stone") or a monolith (meaning "single stone").
How Do We Know It's a Standing Stone?
Researchers like Julian Cope and Peter Herring, along with groups like UK Geocaching and the Council of British Archaeology, have suggested that the Leper Stone was originally set upright. A report from 1980 by J.D. Hedges for English Heritage also listed it as a standing stone. English Heritage describes this type of monument as "A stone or boulder which has been deliberately set upright in the ground."
