Boundary Stones are a major way of confirming that the sight was originally military even if many of the buildings have been destroyed. Frontline Ulster has an excellent summary on Boundary Stones and it is well worth having a look at this page https://frontlineulster.co.uk/military-stones/. The British Army and Royal Navy seemed to in constant ‘conflict’ in respect of land resources, and thus is some cases you find small patches of Admiralty Land withing War Department Boundaries. An example of this is Culver Down Battery where the Admiralty appears to have had a radio mast within the coastal battery boundary.
BOUNDARY STONES
The images below show WD and Admiralty Boundary Stones. The image from Devonport Dockyard shows both a WD and Admiralty stones adjacent to each other.
Berehaven Anchorage, Ireland
Rocky Battery, Jamaica
Hawkins Battery, Plymouth
Dockyard, Devonport
Admiralty, Penlee Battery
Boundary Stones have been used for centuries to mark out the limits of land and it was also used specifically to mark out properties under the control of the military. The used of boundary stones, particularly in areas where the general public may know be able to read English, was a simple and clear way to delineate land. Boundary Stones are usually blocks of stone set in the ground, but it not uncommon for the boundary markers to be embedded in brick walls or existing boundary fences. Boundary Stones were used extensively throughout the British Empire, and the existence of these stones is sometimes the only current proof of the old military usage.
The Boundary Stones tended to have engraved on them at least three pieces of information. The Number of the stone, the body holding the property and the Broad Arrow.
Simon's Town
The Broad Arrow which has continued in use to this day. The current (2002) UK Government web site states “Boundary markers are used to mark the boundary of a site where a natural boundary or fence does not exist”. A copy of the current specifications for a MOD Boundary Stone can be seen here, and it still carries the broad arrow. The Broad Arrow was used on guns, equipment and other Government Property to establish ownership.
Broad Arrow
The initials of organisation controlling the area of land. For military sites this was usually,
- BO for Board of Ordnance. In 1855 the Board of Ordnance was abolished as a result of its’ perceived failures in the Crimean War, and absorbed into the War Office. The War Office was created in 1857 under the Secretary at War. The War Office (WO) including the War Department (WD).
- WD for War Department which replaced the Board of Ordnance and was part of the War Department.
- A for Admiralty, usually with an fouled anchor symbol. Often only the anchor symbol was used.
BO Marker
The images below are a selection of Boundary Stones from around the World. Many stones have now been lost and there a few sites where a complete sequence of Victorian boundary stones can be located.
A Selection of Boundary Stones
Field trips have revealed that in Malta at least, for a brief period of time, ‘WO’ boundary stones were used. Searches have revealed the existence of two ‘WO’ boundary stones on the counterscarp in front of St James Bastion. The other two are on display at Fort Rinella, having been located on the Cottonera Lines. Images provided by Mario Farugia.
We have been assisted by Mario Farugia of Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and have concluded that these stones were mounted between 1857 and 1860 when work was being done on Verdala Barracks and the major St Clements Retrenchment between the Cottonera Lines and the St Margherita Lines.
We would like to hear from anyone who located any other ‘WO’ stones, john@pinkroutes.com.
For more information on Boundary Stones it maybe worthwhile to look at the details provided on the Front Line Ulster web site. Although mainly looking at World War 2 sites, there is a fairly detailed research report on military boundary markers.
WO Boundary Stones
Field trips have revealed that in Malta at least, for a brief period of time, ‘WO’ boundary stones were used. Searches have revealed the existence of two ‘WO’ boundary stones on the counterscarp in front of St James Bastion. The other three are on display at Fort Rinella, having been located on the Cottonera Lines. Images provided by Mario Farugia.
We have been assisted by Mario Farugia of Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and have concluded that these stones were mounted between about 1855 and 1860 when work was being done on Verdala Barracks and the major St Clements Retrenchment between the Cottonera Lines and the St Margherita Lines. It is assumed that the WO was used rather than the later WD because the War Office had then only just been established.
We would like to hear from anyone who located any other ‘WO’ stones, john@pinkroutes.com.
These two images show Boundary Stones being cut from rock. These examples are on the ramparts, above the casemates, at Fort Camden, in Cork Ireland. It would appear that they started to carve out these boundary stones and then abandoned them.
Two Incomplete Boundary Stones
Incomplete Boundary Stone
S Boundary Stones
In Guernsey a number of Boundary Stones have been located around Magazines and Coast Defence Batteries. These stones have a single number and a large ‘S’ which is believed to stand for ‘States’. These batteries were built on land owned by the States and crewed primarily by Guernsey Militia. Some sites also have ‘BO’ or ‘WD’ Boundary Stones. This would seem to be supported by surviving plans of some batteries.
For more information on these see HERE.
S3 Tower 4
S1 Boundary Stone
S3 Narrow Battery
S4 Mont Chinchon
S1 Petit Bot
