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Some key facts
The Millstone was dug up from the grounds of Letheringham Mill where it was being used as a garden plinth. Hilary Allen kindly gave the millstone to the village so that we could use it for a village sign.
The Millstone is made from segments of French Burr stone a form of quartzite this type of stone was imported from outside Paris to England for the milling of fine white flour from about the mid 1700's onward.
The blocks of stone came over to England by boat from one quarry at La Ferte sous Jouarre (just east of Paris) and were made up at the various millwrights yards, many of which were in Dover Street London.
Our millstone is estimated by experts at Nottingham University to be about 200 years old . It takes approximately 60 years of continuous use for a stone to worn down to the point where it has to be discarded.
A number of local artists , traditional craftsmen and villagers all helped to create the village sign these were:
- John Tiplady a wheelwright from Martlesham who re-banded the millstone using a metal tyre from a very large and very old cartwheel .
- Ian Melton's team at Easton Suffolk Welding constructed the frame which holds the cartwheel at an angle of 60 degrees
- Laurence Edwards the renown local sculpture cast the bronze lettering which incorporate organic material and are symbolic of the landscape in and around Letheringham. For example the E incorporates moss and wild cherries taken from St Mary's Church yard and the T incorporates material collected from the site of the original Augustinian priory.
- The bronze letters were made by Marion Brown , Polly Ffitch , Maurice Finch, Jean Barker, Terence Carlin and Sylvia Keen
- Brian Ansell a Master Mason helped restore the millstone and also fixed the bronze lettering to the face of the millstone. Brian was recently in the news as he has carved a replica stone sceptre at Sutton Hoo for the National Trust
- Finally John Bates and Maurice Finch were instrumental in constructing the circular flint plinth which is exactly 4ft in diameter so as to match the millstone.
The frame is inscribed with a series of numbers that give the exact longitude and latitude of the location so as to help any lost souls that may need to find their way.
The sign was funded by Letheringham Parish Council with a kind contribution from the Easton festival fund.