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Three Shire Stones, Wrynose
Three Shire Stones
Brandreth
Three Foot Brandreth
site name:-   Wrynose Pass
civil parish:-   Ulpha (formerly Cumberland)
civil parish:-   Dunnerdale-with-Seathwaite (formerly Lancashire)
civil parish:-   Coniston (formerly Lancashire)
civil parish:-   Lakes (formerly Westmorland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   boundary stone
locality type:-   stone
locality type:-   county boundary mark
coordinates:-   NY27720274
1Km square:-   NY2702
10Km square:-   NY20

photograph
BLK31.jpg (taken 17.11.2005)  
photograph
BLK30.jpg (taken 17.11.2005)  
photograph
BLK29.jpg (taken 17.11.2005)  
evidence:-   old map, old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 80) 
placename:-  Threefoot Brandreth
placename:-  Three Shire Stone
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
"Threefoot Brandreth"
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
"Three Shire Stone or Threefoot Brandreth"
evidence:-   old map:- Saxton 1579
placename:-  Shirestones upon Wrenose
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Westmorlandiae et Cumberlandiae Comitatus ie Westmorland and Cumberland, scale about 5 miles to 1 inch, by Christopher Saxton, London, engraved by Augustinus Ryther, 1576, published 1579-1645.
image
Sax9NY20.jpg
"Shirestones Upon wrenose"
3+ stones drawn on a large hillock; county boundary of Cumberlandia, Westmorelandia and Lancastria. 
item:-  private collection : 2
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Mercator 1595 (edn?) 
placename:-  
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Northumbria, Cumberlandia, et Dunelmensis Episcopatus, ie Northumberland, Cumberland and Durham etc, scale about 6.5 miles to 1 inch, by Gerard Mercator, Duisberg, Germany, about 1595.
image
MER8CumF.jpg
""
stones on Wrynose, on county boundary with Westmorland and Lancashire 
item:-  JandMN : 169
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Speed 1611 (Cmd) 
placename:-  Shire Stones upon Wrenose
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumberland and the Ancient Citie Carlile Described, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by John Speed, 1610, published by J Sudbury and George Humble, Popes Head Alley, London, 1611-12.
image
SP11NY20.jpg
"Shire Stones upon Wrenose"
two standing stones, on a hillock at the county boundaries 
item:-  private collection : 16
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Jansson 1646
placename:-  Shire Stones upon Wrenose
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, Cumbria and Westmoria, ie Cumberland and Westmorland, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, by John Jansson, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1646.
image
JAN3NY20.jpg
"Shire Stones Upon Wrenose"
Two, only, square pillars are drawn, on the county boundaries. 
item:-  JandMN : 88
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Morden 1695 (Cmd) 
placename:-  Shire Stones upon Wrenose
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Cumberland, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Robert Morden, 1695, published by Abel Swale, the Unicorn, St Paul's Churchyard, Awnsham, and John Churchill, the Black Swan, Paternoster Row, London, 1695-1715.
image
MD12NY20.jpg
"Shire Stones Upon Wrenose"
Two upright stones. 
item:-  JandMN : 90
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Badeslade 1742
placename:-  Shire Stone upon Wrenose
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, A Map of Cumberland North from London, scale about 11 miles to 1 inch, with descriptive text, by Thomas Badeslade, London, engraved and published by William Henry Toms, Union Court, Holborn, London, 1742.
image  click to enlarge
BD10.jpg
"Shire Stone upon Wrenose"
one standing stone 
item:-  JandMN : 115
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Simpson 1746
placename:-  Shire Stones
source data:-   Atlas, three volumes of maps and descriptive text published as 'The Agreeable Historian, or the Compleat English Traveller ...', by Samuel Simpson, 1746.
image SMP4P194, button  goto source
"..."
"... the Mountain called Wry Nose, upon the Top of which, near the Highway-Side, are to be seen three Stones, commonly call'd Shire-Stones, lying within a Foot of one another, yet in three several Counties, viz. one in Cumberland, another in Westmorland, and the third in Lancashire. ..."
evidence:-   possibly old map:- Simpson 1746 map (Wmd) 
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Westmorland, scale about 8 miles to 1 inch, printed by R Walker, Fleet Lane, London, 1746.
image
SMP2NYF.jpg
Hillock; building on top; on border with Lancashire. 
item:-  Dove Cottage : 2007.38.59
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Bowen and Kitchin 1760
placename:-  Three Shire Stones
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, A New Map of the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland Divided into their Respective Wards, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Emanuel Bowen and Thomas Kitchin et al, published by T Bowles, Robert Sayer, and John Bowles, London, 1760.
image
BO18SD19.jpg
"Three Shire Stones upon Wry Nose Head"
two stones standing at meet of county boundaries Westmorland Cumberland Lancashire 
item:-  Armitt Library : 2008.14.10
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Jefferys 1770 (Wmd) 
placename:-  Three Shire Stones
source data:-   Map, 4 sheets, The County of Westmoreland, scale 1 inch to 1 mile, surveyed 1768, and engraved and published by Thomas Jefferys, London, 1770.
image
J5NY20SE.jpg
"Three Shire Stones"
one standing stone, on county boundary 
item:-  National Library of Scotland : EME.s.47
Image © National Library of Scotland
evidence:-   old map:- Donald 1774 (Cmd) 
placename:-  Three Shire Stones
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, 3x2 sheets, The County of Cumberland, scale about 1 inch to 1 mile, by Thomas Donald, engraved and published by Joseph Hodskinson, 29 Arundel Street, Strand, London, 1774.
image
D4NY20SE.jpg
"Three Shire Stones"
no symbol, marking county boundary with Westmorland and Lancashire 
item:-  Carlisle Library : Map 2
Image © Carlisle Library
evidence:-   old map:- West 1784 map
placename:-  Shire Stones
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, A Map of the Lakes in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, engraved by Paas, 53 Holborn, London, about 1784.
image
Ws02NY20.jpg
On the meeting of the three county boundaries; there are three dots by the label. 
item:-  Armitt Library : A1221.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions) 
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
Page 179:-  "..."
"In Langdale in Westmorland are two high hills in the road from Cumberland to Gresmere called Hardknot and Wrynose; on the latter of which are placed the shire stones; three little stones, about a foot high and a foot asunder, set in a triangle."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.
image OT01P001, button  goto source
Page 1:-  "..."
"THE Mountainous District, in which the English Lakes are situated, extends into three Counties, Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, which form their junction at a point upon the mountain Wrynose, near the road side. ..."
image OT01P107, button  goto source
"... Near the road on Wrynose are the three shire stones of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire."
evidence:-   old text:- Gents Mag
source data:-   Magazine, The Gentleman's Magazine or Monthly Intelligencer or Historical Chronicle, published by Edward Cave under the pseudonym Sylvanus Urban, and by other publishers, London, monthly from 1731 to 1922.
image G825A516, button  goto source
Gentleman's Magazine 1825 part 1 p.516  "Compendium of County History. - Westmorland."
"Upon WRYNOSE HILL are placed the Shire-stones, in a triangle a foot from each other, where Westmorland, Cumberland, and Lancashire, meet in a point."
evidence:-   old drawing:- Aspland 1840s-60s
placename:-  Three Shire Stones
source data:-   Drawing, pencil and ink wash, the Three Shire Stones, Wrynose, Westmorland, Cumberland, and Lancashire, by Theophilus Lindsey Aspland, 16 September 1852.
image  click to enlarge
AS0367.jpg
"Three Shire Stones / Septr 16. 1852 Wrynose"
"C / W / L"
page number  "50"
item:-  Armitt Library : 1958.390.67
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H
placename:-  Three Shire Stones
source data:-   Map of the English Lakes, in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s.
image
GAR2NY20.jpg
"Three Shire Stones"
block; at meet of county boundaries 
item:-  JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Martineau 1855
item:-  shire stone
source data:-   Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-76.
image MNU1P115, button  goto source
Page 115:-  "... The travellers are now in Westmorland; but at the three shire stones at the top [of Wrynose], where three counties meet, they will step into Lancashire, in order to leave it for Cumberland at Cockley Beck bridge, within three miles further on. We are glad to hear that a spirited citizen of Ambleside, to whom his neighbours are under great obligations, is erecting a stone pillar at the spot where the shire stones are, that the junction of counties may not be overlooked (as it easily may be now) by the unobservant traveller. Young tourists, who happen to have long limbs, may enjoy the privilege of being in three counties at once, by setting their feet on two of the three stones, and resting their hands on the third. ..."
observation:-  
 Three stones are set flat in the ground, each with a letter for a county; Lancashire, Cumberland, and Westmorland: these are replacements for the originals, set here in the mid 20th century. The stone you see in passing is not one of the shire stones; It is sad that a personal memorial has taken over the site.
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