| Date | 4 March 2016 |
|---|---|
| Source | Slough Observer |
| Reference | VP-0065 |
| Volume | Views of the Past |
| Collection | Views of the Past |
Transcript
History set in stone
NE of the enigmas of Cookham village is the Tarry Stone, a large Sarsen which is now situated on the corner of Odney Lane.
The Tarry Stone measures about 3 ½ feet high and around 2 ½ feet thick and has been moved on a number of occasions. It was also known by the 16th century as Cookham Stone.
Historical manuscripts show it was used for particular functions within the parish of Cookham. This was most probably due to the distinctive nature of the Sarsen stone. The stone is not natural to east Berkshire and the nearest place it is found is on the Berkshire Downs.
The will of John Luffenham of 1423 mentions the Abbot of Cirencester’s house which was near to the Tarry Stone. It is probable that the Tarry Stone formed a boundary marker to his estate.
There are other stones within the parish of Cookham which may also have been former boundary markers to the Abbot’s estate.
The Cookham Manorial Court Rolls later describe a case held at the Court in 1506: “The tithing man presents that the Warrener ought to hold a play at Cookham Stone on the day of Assumption; and he has not done so.”
The Tarry Stone originally stood at the junction where the road went in one direction to the church and the other to the ferry. It was removed in 1839 to allow for the realignment of the road to the new bridge across the Thames. The stone was taken by the churchwarden George Venables owner of Cookham paper mill, to his house in Mill Lane, which caused much upset with the village’s inhabitants. Local legend has it that the taking of the stone led to his downfall within the community and the eventual closure of his paper mill.
In 1906 the Mill House was purchased by Sir George Young who in 1909 placed the stone with great ceremony on an island at the bottom of the High Street.
In 1936 the stone was moved by the County Surveyor to erect a new street light. The stone was moved to its current position which, rather ironically, was almost exactly in its original position.
Image: The Tarry Stone in 1925.
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