What is this?

[Steve]

One of my forum members posted this on my site - any ideas?

http://www.online-archaeology.co.uk/foru...IC_ID=2485



Flickr image:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22755890@N03/2188629657/

Steve White

[BAJR Host]

Thats got folk stumped ... looks 20th century.. machine cut grooves... two uprigth psots over a circle that needs a smaller ... would it be anything to do with OS Survey Grid?

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[drpeterwardle]

I dont think it is an OS station but is does look like a ground anchor of some sort although I havent seen one like this.

Peter

[Steve]

Thanks. In case you didn't read the post on my forum here's the text to give it some kind of context...

"My friend from work lives in tutbury in staffordshire near to the castle. she was digging up her garden to lay out a new lawn and found two of these slabs. She took a picture and sent it to me. A market may have been situated around where she lives.

Do any of you guys have any clues. My friend has them still and would like to know what they were used for etc..."

Steve White

[tom wilson]

Slabs?
More than one?
How many? And were they 'in situ'?
Most of the explanations I had considered (survey point, manhole cover) would only require one. Now I am wondering whether these are footings for some kind of structure.

[Steve]

I'm trying to get some more info and maybe more photos.

From the photo above it doesn't very thick so I'm not sure about footings for a structure.

I'll post more when I get some more info.

Steve White

[tom wilson]

There's big structures and small ones, I was thinking of a sort of stand. Perhaps garden furniture?

[kevin wooldridge]

I have seen something like this before, but with a brass plate fixed over the centre 'circle'.

I was told it was some kind of stand for a portable WWII machine gun, that were set up by the Home Guard at various points around towns. Maybe a search of the CBA Defence of Britain web-page will come up with a more precise description.

[Oxbeast]

It looks like some sort of stand for a light machine. As its in a market place, perhaps a grinding wheel?

[m300572]

Its the base from a farm cheese press. A wooden or metal cylinder would have stood on top of the cross, the two square holes are for uprights to upport a heavy weight and a crossbar with a screw to press it down - pressed the whey out of the curd cheese and the grooves helped it to drain away. the stone weights arefairly common on Lancashire farms and a few presees survive (there is one outside the Dewlay chees factory on the A6 near Garstang.