Ancient

Plague Stones, Keep Your Eye Out for Them

Plague stones, prevalent throughout England, often take the shape of excavated stones or large boulders, remnants from the medieval and later plagues.

These boulders, featuring hollowed-out indentations or sometimes forming the foundations of crosses, were designated to hold vinegar.

Positioned at or near parish boundaries, these vinegar-filled receptacles served as a means of disinfection, offering hope that the local community could safely acquire essential goods and provisions without the looming specter of contagion.

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Inhabitants would place coins within the vinegar-filled hollows as payment to outsiders providing goods or food beside the stone, firmly believing that such a practice could impede the relentless spread of the deadly disease.

What Was The Plague

The outbreak of plague in England in 1348 marked the onset of the second great pandemic, commonly referred to as the Black Death from the early nineteenth century onwards, though it was previously known as the Great Mortality or the Great Pestilence.

The plague in London
When the plague struck London once again, and as a preventative measure, all dogs and cats were destroyed.

During this period, the living conditions of the poor were characterized by single-story dwellings made of thatched wattle-and-daub. Rats found their way into these homes, burrowing beneath the earth floors and climbing walls to create nests in the roofs.

Read More: Plague Crosses, What Exactly are They?

The spread of plague into England can be traced back to its origin in India, with subsequent transmission through Asia, North Africa, and Europe.

Melcombe Regis (now part of Weymouth, Dorset) - on the left hand side of the harbour is where the plague entered Britain, around July of 1348.
Melcombe Regis (now part of Weymouth, Dorset) – on the left hand side of the harbour is where the plague entered Britain, around July of 1348.

The disease likely entered England through an infected rat or flea in Melcombe Regis, now known as Weymouth, Dorset, around late July or early August in 1348. From there, it spread southwest to Bristol and then moved eastwards, reaching Oxford and London by the end of October or early November.

Rat Population

Historical records indicate that it advanced at a rate of approximately one-and-a-half miles per day, suggesting a gradual and creeping epizootic process. This means that the plague initially established itself within the English rat population, which had not encountered the pathogen before, resulting in a rat plague epidemic. As the rat population declined due to the disease, and flea hosts became scarce, the infection began to affect humans.

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Estimating the exact death toll during this period is challenging. Parish registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials only began in 1538, and many records were lost, particularly during events like the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Blitz.

While school history books have often portrayed a scenario where only a fraction of the population survived, recent doubts have arisen regarding this narrative. Consequently, it is essential to reevaluate the available evidence and consider the impact of the Black Death on the population more critically.

Barred

These stones served dual purposes during the plague era, functioning both as social distancing markers and boundary indicators. They enforced strict rules, preventing plague-infected individuals from entering a healthy village and barring healthy individuals from entering a plague-stricken one. This practice gave rise to what we now know as the “plague stone.” This historical narrative unfolded in numerous towns and villages, regardless of their size or significance.

The Plague Cross, a Wayside Cross with an old shaft and base used as a Guidestone. Set on the southwest side of a crossroads of roads from Tollerton to Flawith and Alne to Youlton, south of the village in Alne parish.
The Plague Cross, a Wayside Cross with an old shaft and base used as a Guidestone. Set on the southwest side of a crossroads of roads from Tollerton to Flawith and Alne to Youlton, south of the village in Alne parish.

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Plague Stone in Chapel Lane, Rylstone, North Yorkshire, England
Plague Stone in Chapel Lane, Rylstone, North Yorkshire, England

Plague stone at Providence Farm, Docker Lane, Arkholme
Plague stone at Providence Farm, Docker Lane, Arkholme

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Plague Stones, Altofts, Wakefield, England
Plague Stone, Altofts, Wakefield, England

The Dipping Stone, the base of an old Wayside Cross. Standing on the edge of Whaley Moor. Kettleshulme, Cheshire East, England. Image Credit: Mike Rayner

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Mousehole plague stone, Mousehole village in Cornwall UK. The bowl of this stone was used during the Bubonic Plague (around 1578)
Mousehole plague stone, Mousehole village in Cornwall UK. The bowl of this stone was used during the Bubonic Plague (around 1578)

Zennor Plague Stone, Zennor, Cornwall, England
Zennor Plague Stone, Zennor, Cornwall, England

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Ackworth Plague Stone Ackworth Plague Stone is associated with the outbreak of plague that affected Ackworth in 1645. The hollow on top that now fills with rain water was filled with vinegar at the time as a disinfectant for coins left in it as payment for goods brought to the village boundary from the local market town of Pontefract.
Ackworth Plague Stone Ackworth Plague Stone is associated with the outbreak of plague that affected Ackworth in 1645. The hollow on top that now fills with rain water was filled with vinegar at the time as a disinfectant for coins left in it as payment for goods brought to the village boundary from the local market town of Pontefract.

Plague Bowl, near to Gillow Heath, Staffordshire, England

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Plague Stone, Upton-by-Chester
Plague Stone, Upton-by-Chester

This stone is known as The ‘Vinegar Stone’, Wentworth, Rotherham, England

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Ombersley Plague Stone, Ombersley, Worcestershire, England
Ombersley Plague Stone, Ombersley, Worcestershire, England

Read More: The Medieval Pound, Most villages had One

This plague stone is believed to be a base of a cross erected in medieval times to mark the boundary of Bury St.Edmunds in Risbygate Street. It is said to have been used to disinfect money at times of plague. The stone is located outside the West Suffolk College Bury St.Edmunds Suffolk.