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The Plague Stone is a medieval cross base located 750 metres west-south-west of High Scales in Yorkshire. This monument comprises the stone foundation or base of a wayside cross, a common feature of the medieval landscape that served multiple functions including marking territorial boundaries, providing waymarking for travellers, and acting as focal points for worship and community gathering. The structure dates to the medieval period, though the precise dating remains uncertain without documentary evidence specific to this site. The designation as a Plague Stone, a term applied to several similar monuments across northern England, reflects local tradition associating such structures with the medieval plague epidemics, though such attributions are often folkloric rather than historically verifiable.
Medieval cross base known as Plague Stone, 750m WSW of High Scales is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1014764. View the official record →
The Plague Stone is a medieval cross base located 750 metres west-south-west of High Scales in Yorkshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1014764.
Medieval cross base known as Plague Stone, 750m WSW of High Scales is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1014764.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including The Bar, a surviving gateway originally part of Richmond’s medieval town wall (4.1 km), Richmond Castle: eleventh to fourteenth century enclosure castle (4.1 km), Richmond Bridge (4.2 km).
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.
Research the area around Medieval cross base known as Plague Stone, 750m WSW of High Scales