Birley Stone Grenoside.

[Bikertec]

Does anyone know what the birley stone was for at grenoside. Found it at the top of jawbone hill and looks very old. From what I have found it was moved from it original position but where was its original place?.

[feederfil]

If I remember rightly there used to be three stones up in that area.There was one in the middle of "back Edge 1",then one at the end of "The second back edge " .This one used to have a plaque on it pointing out all the areas that you could see from there ie. stannington ,storrs bradfield worrall etc.If you go from Jawbone towards grenoside there is another stone in the field to your right opposite the crematorium .

The stone that you mention we used to call it echo point when we were younger, because if you shout from there you used to get about three different echoes !!

[retep]

Just google Birley Stone.

There's a bit of info on Grenoside History site

[Bikertec]

Originally posted by retep

Just google Birley Stone.

There's a bit of info on Grenoside History site

I looked there first but theres not that much information except the date 1161 But thank you.

[oldtimer]

I was brought up on the Foxhill estate, at the top of Browning Road, just a few minutes walk from the First Back edge. I remember a stone at the end of the First Back Edge, I was told it was a 'trig' stone'. It had some kind of graduated metal plate on top of it, with lines from the centre, like a spoked wheel. used for mapping, I think. Anybody stroll the three Back Edges? If you did, did you ever go further than #3, maybe to Wharncliffe Crags. As kids, we were scared to go past the third Back Edge, we had heard that the Earl of Wharncliffe would set dogs on you! Was there an Earl of Wharncliffe. What was past the third Back Edge? Enquiring minds want to know!! I spent a lot of the school hols around Batchelors, and Beeley woods. Remember one time going down a small cliff on the edge of a disused quarry, it was close to the road that went down into Outibridge from the second Back Edge. Got stuck halfway down the slope, finally managed to 'scrome' up, clothes full of mud. There used to be a rope haulway from the bottom of the hill, to a small area where a man would take a rope off the first mine wagon coming up the hill, then hook it up to a rope that went under the road to a brick works. He had a small shack wirth a coke furnace in it, I dried my clothes in there, then went home and tried to tell me mam that I had fallen down. Don't think she believed me though!

[feederfil]

I used to live on Foxhill road then moved onto Winsford road back of the Fold ,where Marsh's beer off was.I spent many a happy time on the back edges did you ever slide down them on cardboard boxes ?

At the beginning of the 2nd back edge there used to be an abbattoir and they used to pile up the bones at side of the fence that backed onto the footpath.You can imagine the stink in summer and the flies almost as bad as the smell of rotting pea-pods when batchelors had done with them!!

Just for a bit of nostalgia i walked down to the bottom of the first back edge to where the trough and spring used to be.It was still there but now enjoys the company of what used to be an austin metro!!

You mention the Earl of Wharncliffe my father always used to warn us "when crossing Foxhill Road always look out for T'earl of wharncliffe and Potty Edwards lad "!! These two both had sports cars and would speed down Foxhill Road .

[oldtimer]

I rememberr Mr Marsh and his wife! He had a huge Morris Isis, I think! What was the name of the 'crazy old lady' who had the shop next to the 'beer off'? Was it Nora Bailey?I went sliding down the back edge many times on ex-Batchelor's cardboard boxes!Been many years now (47 to be exact) but I can still see it in my mind's eye!

I think the younger Earl of Wharncliffe drove an Austin Healy 3000, didn't he?

[PopT]

I remember the Earl of Wharncliffe when he used to fill his sports car with petrol at the Barracks petrol station at Hillsborough.

 

He was always under the influence and openly bragged about the number of licence endorsements he had on his driving licence.

 

I'll not repeat what I thought about him in those days, anyone else would have been locked up.

 

I believe the stones were originally set as markers for the parish boundaries.

 

Happy Days

[GUZZIOWL]

If I remember rightly there used to be three stones up in that area.There was one in the middle of "back Edge 1",then one at the end of "The second back edge " .This one used to have a plaque on it pointing out all the areas that you could see from there ie. stannington ,storrs bradfield worrall etc.If you go from Jawbone towards grenoside there is another stone in the field to your right opposite the crematorium .

The stone that you mention we used to call it echo point when we were younger, because if you shout from there you used to get about three different echoes !!

I was born in Ecclesfield ,and often walked /cycled to Jawbone Hill just to look at the splendid views and working out the surrounding areas on the brass plaque.

Last Friday (4th june ) i took my niece out on my motorcycle for a ride round , and took her to Jawbone Hill and told her of my childhood memories there.

i was horrified to discover that the plaque has been removed (theres a sheet of white paper in its place ) ...i'm curious as to whether it's Sheffield council who've maybe removed it to give it a clean-up ...or if it's been stolen , anyone heard owt ?

[Greybeard]

According to David Hey in his The Village of Ecclesfield, the Birley Stone was used as a boundary marker to the lands belonging to the Ecclesfield priory and dates to 1161 or earlier. This may not have been its original purpose, it could have been an ancient wayside marker for the routes between Ecclesfield and Worrall, Loxley, Bradfield etc.

 

I don't believe the stone in the field above Skew Hill lane is anything more exotic than an OS trig point mounted on a stone plinth.