It has been suggested that the ancient stone still to be found close to Stokehurst Old Rectory in Little Anglesey Road Alverstoke may have been a mounting block. The explanation offered is that young men could leap into the saddle of their horse with ease but older riders would require a nearby stone to assist them in climbing on to their horses.
There is no doubt that the stone still to be seen by the side of the road in front of the Rectory has been there since Victorian times. But was it a mounting block? A short article published in Gosport Records in May 1972, author unknown, seems to think that it was:
‘Not surprisingly one often finds mounting blocks near a church and one of these still remains in Alverstoke alongside the wall of the old rectory in Little Anglesey Road. This was a favourite spot to tether horses during the church service and at one time there were three or four mounting blocks in this little lane. Only one remains so let us take care that it too does not disappear, or be taken away for road widening by some ‘progressive’ planner.‘
When the second one, shown on plans, disappeared is not known.
In 1872 Major Holland R.M.L.I. gave a lecture to the Gosport and Alverstoke Literary and Scientific Institution on ‘The Geology of Gosport’. It was reported in the Hampshire Telegraph, 4th May 1872 that during this lecture he said:
he had no doubt, many present had remarked sundry blocks of siliceous sand stone almost as hard as iron, lying on the surface in the neighbourhood of Gosport. There was one near that filthy, pestiferous little pool, at the entrance to Love Lane; there were one or two near the gates of Mr Langtry’s farm at Bury Cross; and there were two under the wall of the Rectory grounds at Alverstoke, by the side of the creek; and there were several, very much larger that those on different parts of Titchfield Common. He was of the opinion that these blocks, although they had most of them been placed in their present positions to serve the purposes of boundary marks, horse-blocks, and guard-posts, were all originally transported from some other district during the drift or glacial epoch.
The Hampshire Telegraph 23 August 1873 reported on a meeting of the Alverstoke Highway Board held at the House of Industry on 10 July 1873. In it there was an exchange between Mr Norris the Surveyor and a Mr Williams concerning the Alverstoke Stone next to the Rectory.
The surveyor asked for the authority of the Board to remove a large stone near the rectory.
Mr Williams: thought the surveyor had a “hitch” of some sort over this matter.
The Chairman: thought the road was a private one and that they ought not to interfere.
The Surveyor: Then what about the repairs to the road? They had better not be done.
Mr Williams: said the stone prevented people from falling into the pond. Half the year it was covered with water.
Mr Norris: wished to explain. Seeing the necessity of this stone being removed, he put men at the work, when the Rector objected to its being removed. At that time he (the Surveyor) was absent and Mr Williams was called by the Rector. Upon his arrival he said “What are you fellows about?” and after insulting the men gave them a pint of beer. The stone would have to be set back some 4ft or 5ft and have made the road 20ft wide.
Mr Williams (loudly) Whatever Mr Norris has said is wrong!
Mr Norris. The men said they were carrying out my orders and that “master” (referring to me) had better be seen about it.
Mr Willliams: The men never said anything of the sort!
The Surveyor: We will have the men brought before the board.
Mr Williams: Don’t answer me sir!
The Surveyor: I am not answering you. I am addressing the Chairman.
Mr Williams: I believe the stone has been there for the last 100 years.
The Surveyor: said the stone was in a dangerous position, and was within the repairable portion of the road, but after what had occurred he had determined not to carry out his original intention until he had brought the matter before the board.
Original page created by David Moore.