Summary
A boundary stone, bearing initials and dated 1684. Limestone and rectangular with a flat face.
Description
A boundary stone, bearing initials and dated 1684.
Exterior: Limestone and rectangular with a flat face. The stone is positioned on the north side of the Bayswater Brook, close to Barton Village Road.
The inscribed stone bears the characters 'T.W. / 1684'. It is rectangular with rounded upper corners and has a flat face facing south. There are no marks to the back.
History
A C17 boundary stone, marked with the date 1684 and the initials 'T W', a reference to the Whorwood family who owned the land around Headington at this time. In 1684 Brome Whorwood, lord of the manor of Headington, died and the land passed to his daughter and then to his illegitimate son, Thomas who inherited in 1701. The inscription may therefore stand for Terra Whorwood, signifying the land as held by the Whorwood family at a time of change, rather than being the initials of Thomas.
Reasons for Listing
The boundary stone marked T.W. and dated 1684 at Barton Fields, Headington, Oxfordshire is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural and historic interest:
* as a rare early dated boundary stone which, despite having probably been moved from its original location, clearly represents the ownership by the Whorwood family and transfer of the Headington manor estate in 1684 ;
* as a well-preserved boundary marker with attractive and legible lettering;
* as an indicator of the continuity of land holding in Oxfordshire.
External Links
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
Recommended Books
Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)