Summary

A stone, erected in the early C19 to mark the limit of an extreme high tide of the River Mersey in 1802.

Description

Tidestone, early C19, erected to mark the limit of an extreme high tide in 1802.

MATERIALS: red sandstone.

DESCRIPTION: a headstone-shaped sandstone pillar, which stands about 30cm above the ground surface, with its base buried in the ground. It has a rectangular section, segmental head, and chamfered rear edges. The front faces to the north-east and has an ashlar surface inscribed: THE TIDE / CAME TO / THIS STONE / JANUARY / 21, 1802. The rear and the sides of the stone are blank.

History

The wide, low-lying tidal estuary of the River Mersey has always been subject to flooding on high tidal events. On 21 January 1802, a flood tide covered large areas of adjacent land, which was known as Frodsham Marsh, and the highest extent at Frodsham was recorded by a small tide stone marker. This point was in the field to the rear of the former Old Hall Hotel, some 5-7m above mean high tide, and 2,695m (2¾ miles) from the River Mersey and 1,259m (¾ mile) from the River Weaver. The tidestone has a close relationship with a later stone recording a flood event in 1862, which is situated approximately 12.5m to the south-west.

Reasons for Listing

Tidestone at SJ 51543 77900, of around 1802, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* a rare example of a tidestone;

* a classically-inspired, rectangular section sandstone slab with a segmental head that exhibits good-quality tooling;

* the inscribed lettering remains legible;

* the stone stands in its original position.

Historic interest:

* the stone provides a physical and inscribed record of the highest extent of a major flooding event that occurred on 21 January 1802.

Group value:

* the stone benefits from a strong spatial, functional and historical group value with a nearby Grade II listed tidestone, which records a later flooding event that occurred in 1862.

External Links

• Wikidata Q26545082

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.

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