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Industrial Wales
Boundary Stones and Mileposts
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The pages that know no Boundaries

There are some things that turn up in all the wrong places so don't particularly fit the geographical layout of the rest of the pages.
They've been given their own pages here, mostly in alphabetical order.

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Boundary Stones and Mileposts

Boundary stones, milestones, finger posts and other markers in simple alphabetical order of their initials, name or location. If anyone has more examples or information on their meaning please do get in touch. They are also listed under their location in the main pages.

The first sections are the work of Robert Kemp who set himself the lockdown project of finding and recording as many of the boundary stones above Cwmbran as he could. Not only has he found a great many, he has also recorded the history of the landowners themselves, particularly the Hanburys of Pontypool.

'BH' and 'CHL' - Boundary of Minerals

Scattered along a boundary line from Cwmcarn towards Pontypool are a string of identical boundary stones stating that they are the 'Boundary of Minerals Settled by Act of Parliament 1839'. On one side are the initials 'BH' for Benjamin Hall of Abercarn, later Lord Llanover and on the other side are 'CHL' for Capel Hanbury Leigh of Pontypool Park. There are certainly five stones and probably more.
Robert Kemp's photos and research into the family history of Benjamin Hall is here :- 'Benjamin Hall'
and similarly for Capel Hanbury Leigh :- 'Capel Hanbury Leigh'

Quick links to :-     BH and CHL     CHL     JCH     A to C     D to G     H to L     M to R     S to Z



'CHL' - Capel Hanbury Leigh 1776-1861

Quick links to :-     BH and CHL     CHL     JCH     A to C     D to G     H to L     M to R     S to Z

Capel Hanbury Leigh was the son of John Hanbury of Pontypool and younger brother of John Capel Hanbury. Like his elder brother, he has a numerous boundary stones with his initials. Most of the smaller stones appear to mark his boundary with John Maund, often with Roman numerals between 1 (I) and 33 (XXXIII), numbers found are '1', '2', '4', '5', '12', '14', '15', '16', '17', '18', '23', '24', '25', '29', '30', '31', '32' and '33'.
Robert Kemp's photos and research into the family history of Capel Hanbury Leigh is here :- 'Capel Hanbury Leigh'
and John Maund is here :- 'John Maund'



'J C H' - John Capel Hanbury 1775-1795

Quick links to :-     BH and CHL     CHL     JCH     A to C     D to G     H to L     M to R     S to Z

John Capel Hanbury was the son of John Hanbury of Pontypool and elder brother of Capel Hanbury Leigh. Robert Kemp's photos and research into the family history of John Capel Hanbury is here :- 'John Capel Hanbury'

'J C H' and 'M de S'

Madame de Solignac (M de S) was Jane Griffiths, widow of Charles Griffiths of Llanyravon Farm, who subsequently married a Frenchman and moved to Grandval in France with her new husband. It was alleged in 1979 that the chapel was still paying rent to the Hanbury estate for the small triangle of land belonging to it. (Information from Laurence Skuse)

'J C H' and 'E'

Hanbury's boundary with Edlogan Parish 'E' is marked by this set of Roman numbered stones. Numbers found so far are '1', '2', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '10', '11', '14' and '15'.

'J C H' and 'MP'

Hanbury's boundary with magna Porta Parish 'MP' is marked by this set of Roman numbered stones.Numbers found so far are '1', '4', '5', '9', '10', '11' and '12'.

'J C H' and Roman numerals

it looks like there were at least 15 of these stones scattered around the Blaen Bran area of Upper Cwmbran. So far I know of 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 15 so there should be quite a few more somewhere. Anyone want to add to the collection?


A to C

Quick links to :-     BH and CHL     CHL     JCH     A to C     D to G     H to L     M to R     S to Z

A

B

C

Cwmcarn following de-forestation - by Robert Kemp

Robert Kemp has been busy during lock-down searching the newly de-forested areas of Cwmcarn for previously hidden boundary stones. His search has been very productive, revealing a number of 'anonymous' and buried stones, some recorded here with their grid references.
Robert's research into the stones he's found is here :- 'The de-forested areas of Cwmcarn'


D to G

Quick links to :-     BH and CHL     CHL     JCH     A to C     D to G     H to L     M to R     S to Z

D

E

Edlogan and Abercarn

F


H to L

Quick links to :-     BH and CHL     CHL     JCH     A to C     D to G     H to L     M to R     S to Z

H

I

'IM' - John Maund

Robert Kemp's photos and research into the family history of John Maund is here :- 'Capel Hanbury Leigh and John Maund'

K

L

'L', 'L' and 'H' on three-sided stones

Probably 'L' for Llanover and 'H' for Hanbury

'LUP', Llanfrechfa Upper Parish

One of the parishes covering Mynydd Maen.


M to R

Quick links to :-     BH and CHL     CHL     JCH     A to C     D to G     H to L     M to R     S to Z

M

'MP', Magna Porta

One of the parishes covering Mynydd Maen. Magna Porta means 'Great Gate', in Welsh it is 'Porth Mawr' and was at Llantarnam Abbey.
Robert Kemp's photos and research into 'Magna Porta' and the family history of Reginald J Blewitt is here :- 'Magna Porta and R J Blewitt'

N

P

'P I Co' - Pontypool Iron Co of 1851 - 1859

'PP', Pontypool Parish

One of the parishes covering Mynydd Maen

R

RTR - Richard Thomas Roberts, 1843-1912

Richard Thomas Roberts of Maesgwyn Farm, Upper Cwmbran
Robert Kemp's photos and research into the family history of Richard Thomas Roberts is here :- 'Richard Thomas Roberts'


S to Z, 0 to 9

Quick links to :-     BH and CHL     CHL     JCH     A to C     D to G     H to L     M to R     S to Z

S

Sand Bay, Somerset

A collection of old Somerset County Council fingerposts at Sand Bay, near Weston-Super-Mare.

T

W

0 to 9



Acknowledgments, sources and further reading.

Thanks to :- Dennis T Baker, John Bradford, Phil Davies, John Gale, John Gibbon, Alan Jones, Nigel Jones, Robert Kemp, John Matthews, Amanda Meyer, Gill Phillips, David Standing, Lawrence Skuse, Rob Southall and Terry Wilson for providing more examples and identification of these boundary markers.
and particularly to 'The Lost Farmsteads of Twmbarlwm and Mynydd Maen' facebook group.
There is a specialist society for milestones and boundary stones :- The Milestone Society

A Guide to the Website


All rights reserved - Phil Jenkins