Ticksey How

The Smeathorns Road across the moor to Castleton. I have ridden it more times than I can count, and today I nearly missed it again.

A boundary stone. Right there, behind the stock fence.

Weathered sandstone, inscribed “S Ticksey how” — marking the old boundary between the parishes of Stanghow and Moorsholm.¹National Heritage List for England. List Entry Number: 1136518.https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1136518²NYMNPA HER Records No:  17123, Boundary stone at Ticksey How The wire mesh and barbed wire arrived a century or two after the stone had already sorted that question out. The stone does not appear to have noticed the fence. The fence, for its part, looks faintly embarrassed.

The verge has been freshly mown, which is probably why the stone caught my eye at last. There was likely a tumulus here once. Now there is a barbed wire fence and a county road, which is a reasonable summary of how history tends to go.

Same road. New eyes.

• 1
  National Heritage List for England. List Entry Number: 1136518.https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1136518
• 2
  NYMNPA HER Records No:  17123, Boundary stone at Ticksey How