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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · 7d

A mosaic of the Wrekin, created by The Arts Society Wrekin in 2018 to mark the Gold Anniversary of The Arts Society that was established in 1968 by Patricia Fay as the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS) The mosiac is mounted in Weston Park, Staffs

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · 27d

A new Telford based OS Benchmarks walk, this one based through & around Wellington.

Many thanks to the Wellington Walkers are Welcome group who gave me the opportunity to lead people around the route on Monday as part of the September Walking Festival

rowleyanth.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/w...

Wellington (Shropshire) – An OS Benchmark Walk

The Arrow & Line cut into the wall on the side of a building – you may have seen one or more of them, wondering what it or they are. Some of us wander to find them. The Wellington (Shrops…

rowleyanth.wordpress.com

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Aug 5

An interesting article on OS Benchmarks in Ireland and their link to ownership, authority and, from that, folklore. "benchmarks and particularly the broad arrow, can be seen not only as tools of measurement... but also authority and ownership"

Link > amp.rte.ie/amp/1525673/

The story behind the benchmarks hiding in plain sight in Ireland

amp.rte.ie

Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Aug 4

For #mondaymaps an extract from Plate-V of Robert Baugh's 1808 map of Shropshire showing the various Tub Boat Canals and the Incline Planes & Tunnels of what is now Telford.

Not showing is the Newport Canal - this wasn't constructed until 1835.

More details of the Canals are provided in ALT

1. The Shrewsbury Canal that ran from Ditherington to Trench Lock
2. The Ketley Canal
3. The Wombridge Canal
4. The Marquis of Stafford's Canal - aka the Lilleshall Canal
5. The Shropshire Canal (not to be confused with the Shropshire Union Canal)
6. The Dawley Canal

The Incline Planes of the system are shown in red and the three Tunnels of the Shropshire Canal in yellow.

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Jul 31

Just finished reading the excellent 'Church Going - a Stonemason's Guide to the Churches of the British Isles' by @old-church-going.bsky.social I found this an absorbing read describing the features & their history that you may find on the outside or inside of a medieval church - recommended!

Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Jul 17

A new blog - this one about the latest round of Church Crawling and medieval Scratch Dials (simple sundials) on the Grade-I Listed St Peter's Church in Norbury, Staffs.

rowleyanth.wordpress.com/2025/07/17/s...

#churchcrawling #scratchdials

Scratch Dials – St Peter’s, Norbury

In my blog Grooves are on the Church I mentioned that one of my pastimes is Church Crawling – a phrase coined by Sir john Betjemen for those who visit churches not for ecclesiastical reasons …

rowleyanth.wordpress.com

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Jun 21

I was on the Wrekin this morning for the Solstice Sunrise - here the rising sun is seen looking over the summit's Trig Pillar's Spider

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Jun 16

For #benchmarkmonday the Cut Mark within Exchange House in Oakengates, Telford. The Cut Mark dates from 1961 while the former Labour Exchange, aka Dole Office, was built & finished in March 1938 and officially opened in May of the same year #localhistory #oakengates #telford

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Jun 14

A new blog - Grooves are on the Church - highlighting some local churches (Telford, Shropshire) which have evidence of the medieval practice of using holy & sacred dust in potions & medicines - click the link below

rowleyanth.wordpress.com/2025/06/14/g...

Grooves are on the Church

The phrase of ‘church crawling’ was coined by Sir John Betjeman to describe visiting churches not for religious reasons, but in appreciation of the art that lies within the buildings, t…

rowleyanth.wordpress.com

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · May 26

For #benchmarkmonday the Govt of Gibraltar's Ministry of Heritage setting the err... benchmark by including & highlighting Benchmarks in their history (tap the link) > www.ministryforheritage.gi/heritage-and...

Benchmarks | Heritage & Antiquities Act Listings

| Heritage & Antiquities Act Listings

www.ministryforheritage.gi

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · May 17

Two Benchmarks on Timlet Bridge on Neachley Lane in Shropshire. The first is the Pheon from the original C19th Pivot cut into one of the coping stones on the SW Parapet. The second Benchmark is the Cut Mark on the NE Parapet that was Levelled in 1961. More details in ALT

The Pheon from the original C19th Pivot is cut into one of the coping stones on the SW Parapet. The Pheon is inverted and it is assumed the Pivot is now hidden on the underside - this could have been the conscious action of marking the Benchmark as cancelled (it is not recorded within the OS Records, but is indicated on the historical maps) or simply the coping stone being re-laid upside down when the parapet was rebuilt between the late 1950s to 1961.

A wider perspective of the Pheon on the SW Parapet showing its position & location details

The second Benchmark on Timlet Bridge is the Cut Mark on the NE Parapet that was Levelled in 1961. It seemingly replaced the Pivot on the opposite Parapet, which may reinforce the Cancellation option for the explanation of inverted Pheon.

A wider perspective of the Cut Mark on the NE Parapet including its position & location details

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · May 8

On #VEDay80 a story of seven men from across Britain and (then) Empire; six of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice, still lying together in an unmarked grave in Berlin

One of those six was my nan's younger brother, Reuben Martin of Old Park, Telford, Shrops

rowleyanth.wordpress.com/2024/01/27/i...

In Memory of Six of the 55,000

Just after midnight on 29th January 1944, a RAF Handley-Page Halifax heavy-bomber of Bomber Command’s No.10 Squadron took off from RAF Melbourne in Yorkshire. It was one of 677 RAF bombers he…

rowleyanth.wordpress.com

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · May 8

8th May 1945 - Celebrations broke out on a street in Croydon to mark the Victory in Europe. My wife's (late) father watched the scenes with his sister from one of balconies overlooking the street - third window from the right #VEDay80 #croydon

Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · May 8

8th May '45 Newport, Shrops - Thanksgiving Services were held in all the town's churches, the bells of St Nicholas's rang riotously & E. Riley recorded in the lead of St Nicholas's roof's pyramidal centre how he fixed the lights that allowed the Church's Tower to be illuminated #VEDay80

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · May 5

For #benchmarkmonday the Cut Mark in a buttress of St Georges Church, Frankwell, Shrewsbury, Shrops. The benchmark was cut during the Primary Levelling of GB between Oct-1857 to Jan-1859. The Church is a former OS Trigonometrical Station - lost during the mid-C20th Retriangulation of GB #losttrigs

The Benchmark cut into a Buttress of St Georges Church. The Benchmark was Cut between Oct-1857 to Jan-1859 when the Llandysilio to Stafford Survey Line was Levelled

An extract of the Abstract Report that records the levelling of the Llandysilio to Stafford Survey Line. The Benchmark is No.30 (highlighted) 'Frankwell Church'

The Grade-II Listed St Georges Church - built in 1832 the Church's Tower is a former OS Trigonometrical Station

An extract of the OS 25-Inch Map 'Shropshire XXX.VI 16' published in 1881. It shows St Georges Church along with the position of the Benchmark and the Tower's status as a Trigonometrical Station (triangle with a dot symbol)

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · May 3

St Michael's Church, Lilleshall - worn into the wall of the Chancel are grooves from the medieval period formed by the scratching away of powder for use in local medicines & potions

Not to be mistaken for Arrow Stones, which are a myth

Info added to > rowleyanth.wordpress.com/2022/07/04/l...

Two of three sections of grooves worn into the west face of the Chancel. There are also grooves worn into the south face of the Chancel

The three sections of grooves are circled

Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · May 1

The I-Spy series of booklets were published in the UK from 1948 with children encouraged to go out to find & tick-off objects within the booklet

The attached images are from the booklet 'The Land' showing that even in 1958 Trig Pillar and Benchmark bagging (two things I do) were recognised things

The News Chronicle I-Spy booklets that had been published between 1948 to 1958. 'The Land' was published in 1958

Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Apr 20

Shifnal Road, Priorslee, Telford - now used as decoration, within the roadside walls are some fine examples of Cone-in-Cone sedimentary structures that were formed in the stone & coal-measure nodules by diagenesis during the Upper Carboniferous Period of 327-299-million years ago.

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Apr 10

A new Benchmark Walk - this Cinderloo Bridge Extension to the Oakengates Benchmark Walk is just over 1-mile in distance & includes details of the Shropshire Canal, moved villages, award winning iron-works, maggot factories, bricks, and a murder & suicide

rowleyanth.wordpress.com/2025/03/10/o...

Oakengates Benchmark Walk – Cinderloo Bridge Extension

The Oakengates Benchmark Walk is a 4-mile stroll around & through my home town to both bag thirteen Ordnance Survey Benchmarks and use them as waypoints into the deep & layered history of t…

rowleyanth.wordpress.com

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Mar 25

I was in Dudley at the weekend & took the opportunity to go fossil hunting at the Wren's Nest.

I was absolutely chuffed to find two examples of sea-shell fossils from 420-425 million years ago when a tropical sea covered the area during the Silurian Period

The other side of the same sea-shell fossil

The second sea-shell fossil, this one still embedded in a larger segment of rock

A close-up of the sea-shell fossil that is embedded in a larger segment of rock

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Mar 22

For #steeplesaturday the C12th crenelated Tower of the Grade-I Listed Holy Trinity Church, Much Wenlock, Shropshire.

In early C18th (maybe earlier) a Spire was added to Tower. The Spire was dismantled in Aug-1930 after extensive damage to the Tower was discovered.

Looking south along Sheinton Street towards the Tower of the Grade-I Listed Holy Trinity Church, Much Wenlock, Shropshire

That same view but with the Spire in place

The Tower is an Ordnance Survey Trigonometrical Station - TP11286 Intersected Station

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Mar 20

For #adoorablethursday the Cooke Clock in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Donated by Mayor Thomas Cooke to commemorate The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in June 1897. It was restored in 1993 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth-II's accession to the throne.

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Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Mar 17

Holy Trinity Church, Much Wenlock - worn into the south face of the Chancel are grooves from the medieval period formed by scratching away of powder for use in local medicines & potions

Not to be mistaken for Arrow Stones which are a myth > triskeleheritage.triskelepublishing.com/mediaeval-my...

Looking towards the south-face of the Chancel over the graves of the Brookes family. The grooves are worn into the section of wall below the window

Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Mar 14

Murder at Oakengates

Using an article from the Wellington Journal & Shrewsbury News of 6th August 1910, the linked blog provides the story of the murder of Alice Turley by her husband. He subsequently committed suicide leaving seven children as orphans.

rowleyanth.wordpress.com/2025/03/14/m...

Murder at Oakengates – A Sordid Tragedy

On Saturday 30th July 1910, Alice Turley of Oakengates was murdered by her husband, Armel, who then committed suicide. The tragedy made orphans of the couple’s seven children. The following S…

rowleyanth.wordpress.com

Anth Rowley @anthrowley.bsky.social · Mar 5

In Feb-1938, the Wellington Journal published an article on the C19th exploits of Penny Farthing cyclist Will Ryder of Wrockwardine Wood, Shropshire

Over six races in St Georges in 1885 & 1886, Will had five first places & two second places becoming the Penny Farthing Champion of Shropshire

The original Wellington Journal & Shrewsbury News article on Will Ryder's C19th exploits - published 26th February 1938

Details of Will's 1885 first and second places - published in the Shrewsbury Chronicle 18th September 1885

Details of Will's 1886 three first places and one second place - published in the Wellington Journal & Shrewsbury News 11th September 1886

The old pub sign of The Turf (on the corner of Grove Street and School Street) was an image of a Penny Farthing in memory of the races that took place in the 19th Century

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