Summary

A C17 boundary stone marking the former boundary of the Borough of Penzance. One of a pair that survive from an original group of four.

Description

The boundary stone is set within a stone wall, at the rear of the footpath on the east side of St Clare Street. It is constructed of granite, rectangular on plan with a rounded top. The stone is 64cm tall. There are rectangular recesses on three faces, where the stone has been cut back to leave a raised inscription, which reads: P 16 87. The lettering is rounded and worn. There is a broad bench mark at the top of the front face and a metal pin in the top.

History

James I granted a charter for the Borough of Penzance in 1614, and four inscribed stones were erected in 1687 to determine where the boundary was crossed by the main roads into the Borough. These were located at Chyandour, Chapel St Clare, Alverton and Wherrytown, costing £1 19s 6d to make and £1 10s 0d to erect. As late as the mid-C19 the stones were used as markers for a traditional race carried out by Penzance councillors called "beating the bounds".

One of the stones was removed when Alverton Road was widened, and a memorial plaque was erected nearby in 1867. The stone in Wherrytown is thought to have been removed during the development of the Esplanade. The stones at Chyandour and Chapel St Clare remain in situ.

Reasons for Listing

The boundary stone 47m north-west of the fire station, Nancealverne, Penzance, Cornwall is designated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
* Intactness: it is a good example of a C17 borough boundary stone;
* Historic interest: it illustrates the establishment of local government in this part of Cornwall;
* Group value: it has strong group value with the other surviving boundary stone.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26675978

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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