Four Shire Stone
From Tolkien Gateway
| Four Shire Stone | |
|---|---|
| Marker | |
| File:3farthingstone.jpg | |
| General Information | |
| Location | North of Oxford, England |
| Type | Marker |
| Description | Stone pillar with decorative capital |
| Regions | United Kingdom |
The Four Shire Stone is a 9-foot high pillar situated approximately 25 miles north-west of Oxford - and two miles east of Moreton-in-Marsh - in England. The pillar, made from Cotswold stone, marks the centuries-old meeting place of four county shires: Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire.
Due to local government reorganisation in the 1970s, the boundaries of these counties have now been moved and only three shires - no longer including Worcestershire, whose boundary is now further west - currently intercept here.
It is believed this stone was an inspiration for Tolkien's Three-Farthing Stone, a central point in the Shire where three Farthings met.
