The Bradling Stone lies at the centre of the village of Norton in Hales, just inside Shropshire. It was recorded as being part of a lost dolmen in 1927 and has been here for as long as anyone can find, but joins the ranks of dozens of other such remnants around the area.
In her "Shropshire Folklore", Charlotte Burne recounted a curious local tradition around the stone. Shrove Tuesday was considered a half-day holiday in England until the later 19th century, and anyone found to be working after 11 in Norton in Hales would get some rough "community justice". The offending person would be dragged from their place of work by a mob, carried to the Bradling Stone then be given "the bumps" over the slab! The unfortunate victim was then rolled back and forth over the rough surface to a cacophony of jeering.
Things are a lot quieter here now, and pancakes are the only way to mark Shrovetide these days!
All of my books exploring the places and strange stories of the Midlands are available at in the "Shop" link on this website.
Comments