Stone Blocks on Armley Park

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Mon 08 Mar, 2010 11:07 am

Don't think they are water related. There's never been a res in Armley Park as far as I know. Perhaps they just share high places? Curiously they are marked on the mapping system as 'stone'. Not sure why they should be singled out for a special mention.

Si · Post by Si » Mon 08 Mar, 2010 3:50 pm

Chrism wrote: Ever since I warra a kid there's bin 3 stone blocks on Armley Park. As far as I can remember they're about 2 foot square but they are not just sat on top of the grass, they must be sunk in. Does anyone know what they were for? Whereabouts are the stones exactly, Chris?On the 1906 OS map of Upper Armley, there are several defined municipal ward boundaries which don't follow walls/hedges/fences, and are regularly marked by B.S. (boundary stones.) Maybe they are the remnants of one of these boundaries?Incidentally, often these boundaries are also marked alternatively "3ft 6ins F.W." and "3ft 6ins R.H." Anyone know what this refers to?

tilly · Post by **tilly** » Mon 08 Mar, 2010 7:12 pm

Si wrote: Chrism wrote: Ever since I warra a kid there's bin 3 stone blocks on Armley Park. As far as I can remember they're about 2 foot square but they are not just sat on top of the grass, they must be sunk in. Does anyone know what they were for? Whereabouts are the stones exactly, Chris?On the 1906 OS map of Upper Armley, there are several defined municipal ward boundaries which don't follow walls/hedges/fences, and are regularly marked by B.S. (boundary stones.) Maybe they are the remnants of one of these boundaries?Incidentally, often these boundaries are also marked alternatively "3ft 6ins F.W." and "3ft 6ins R.H." Anyone know what this refers to? Si if you go through the main gates and follow that path about three hundred yards the path bends to the right.It then goes back towards the tennis courts the stones are on your right about twenty yards from were the path bends I hope you can make head or tail of my answer.Ps they could now be basket ball courts.

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Mon 08 Mar, 2010 7:54 pm

Si wrote: Chrism wrote: Ever since I warra a kid there's bin 3 stone blocks on Armley Park. As far as I can remember they're about 2 foot square but they are not just sat on top of the grass, they must be sunk in. Does anyone know what they were for? Whereabouts are the stones exactly, Chris?On the 1906 OS map of Upper Armley, there are several defined municipal ward boundaries which don't follow walls/hedges/fences, and are regularly marked by B.S. (boundary stones.) Maybe they are the remnants of one of these boundaries?Incidentally, often these boundaries are also marked alternatively "3ft 6ins F.W." and "3ft 6ins R.H." Anyone know what this refers to? Behind and to the left of the bowling greens Si. In my 1st pic the white T shaped thing is on the old roller skating circle. Hope that helps.

Si · Post by Si » Tue 09 Mar, 2010 9:56 am

Chrism wrote: Si wrote: Chrism wrote: Ever since I warra a kid there's bin 3 stone blocks on Armley Park. As far as I can remember they're about 2 foot square but they are not just sat on top of the grass, they must be sunk in. Does anyone know what they were for? Whereabouts are the stones exactly, Chris?On the 1906 OS map of Upper Armley, there are several defined municipal ward boundaries which don't follow walls/hedges/fences, and are regularly marked by B.S. (boundary stones.) Maybe they are the remnants of one of these boundaries?Incidentally, often these boundaries are also marked alternatively "3ft 6ins F.W." and "3ft 6ins R.H." Anyone know what this refers to? Behind and to the left of the bowling greens Si. In my 1st pic the white T shaped thing is on the old roller skating circle. Hope that helps. There's nothing marked in this area on the map at all - no stones, boundaries or owt. There's a bowling green to the south, and a bandstand in that circle to the north, with just open space between. An "FS" is marked close to the bowling green, though.

blackprince · Post by **blackprince** » Tue 09 Mar, 2010 6:53 pm

Si wrote: Chrism wrote: Si wrote: Chrism wrote: Ever since I warra a kid there's bin 3 stone blocks on Armley Park. As far as I can remember they're about 2 foot square but they are not just sat on top of the grass, they must be sunk in. Does anyone know what they were for? Whereabouts are the stones exactly, Chris?On the 1906 OS map of Upper Armley, there are several defined municipal ward boundaries which don't follow walls/hedges/fences, and are regularly marked by B.S. (boundary stones.) Maybe they are the remnants of one of these boundaries?Incidentally, often these boundaries are also marked alternatively "3ft 6ins F.W." and "3ft 6ins R.H." Anyone know what this refers to? Behind and to the left of the bowling greens Si. In my 1st pic the white T shaped thing is on the old roller skating circle. Hope that helps. There's nothing marked in this area on the map at all - no stones, boundaries or owt. There's a bowling green to the south, and a bandstand in that circle to the north, with just open space between. An "FS" is marked close to the bowling green, though. 'FS' stands for Flag Staff on OS maps at 1:1250 and 1:2500 scale.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Tue 09 Mar, 2010 7:06 pm

Chrism wrote: Barrage balloon it might be as there's an air raid shelter about where the red box is. The air raid shelter is very pronounced in the park and just as you mark it out. Would the stones cover up air ducts or air shafts to ventilate the shelter? Didn't other shelters have these?The stones have sunk a bit into the ground and they are pretty solidly in position. Each one is in a slight hollow so I wonder if there has been something underneath?Enjoyed dropping by for a nosey and a "ponder"I thought at one point they'd stuck them there so the locals couldn't play football on those parts of the park!

shutthatdoor · Post by **shutthatdoor** » Wed 14 Jul, 2010 5:59 pm

Newcomer to posting on site, so bare with me. When I were a lad, I was informed by t'old man that these stones on Armley Park were "speakers stones" and were a permanent sort of soapbox for so minded individuals to address crowds. Not sure if true, but would make sense. With bandstand and cricket pavilion as well as tennis courts and bowling greens and playgrounds and woodland walks, Armley park had a lot to offer. It would have attracted large crowds on hot days and holidays. A very good place to stand up on a stone and have a rant. The modern park was set out in Victorian times and visited for the grand opening by Queen Vic herself. I have never thought the stones would date to any time earlier than that sort of era. But, I would love to be wrong so the mystery could be deepened.

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Wed 14 Jul, 2010 7:03 pm

shutthatdoor wrote: Newcomer to posting on site, so bare with me. When I were a lad, I was informed by t'old man that these stones on Armley Park were "speakers stones" and were a permanent sort of soapbox for so minded individuals to address crowds. Not sure if true, but would make sense. With bandstand and cricket pavilion as well as tennis courts and bowling greens and playgrounds and woodland walks, Armley park had a lot to offer. It would have attracted large crowds on hot days and holidays. A very good place to stand up on a stone and have a rant. The modern park was set out in Victorian times and visited for the grand opening by Queen Vic herself. I have never thought the stones would date to any time earlier than that sort of era. But, I would love to be wrong so the mystery could be deepened. There are couple of these stones on Harehills Park and I was told the very same thing when I was a kid - "speakers or orators stones".

shutthatdoor · Post by **shutthatdoor** » Wed 14 Jul, 2010 7:41 pm

There are similar stones on Hyde Park too. With such an abundance of parks having them, I think mystery is solved. However, they could be worm holes into other dimensions just dressed up to seem the right side of mysteriously innocuous.