Whalley Church Exterior: Block of Roman Stone

Whalley Church Exterior: Block of Roman Stone
Whalley Church Exterior: Block of Roman Stone
Whalley Church Exterior: Block of Roman Stone
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ECL20131112001
Whalley Church Exterior: Block of Roman Stone
Whalley
Whalley lies close to the principal route between the river crossing at Ribchester and Eboracum (York). Roman coins found during the digging of graves in the Churchyard suggest that the site was used in the Roman period, and perhaps for similar purposes. It is believed that the font within the church re-used at least some Roman stone from earlier buildings. One such block carries an image of Mars (the Roman god of war) and part of a Roman votive inscription.

The stone in this image shows a feature known as a "lewis hole", visible on the upper surface and designed to aid the hoisting of stone blocks. The generally circular indentation on the top surface led some to assume this was a form of quern for grinding corn but this is debatable. It may be, simply, a block from an earlier building that was unearthed in a later period.
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