Wythburn Church Stones
The Stones are part of the wider Thirlmere Stone Circuit - The Valley of Styans. The entire circuit consists of the Gun Point Stones, the Stenoch Stones, the Nags Head Stones, the Daleshead Hall Stones and the Wythburn Church Stones.
Weights
Wedding Stone - 99kg / 218lbs
Communion Stone - 71kg / 156lbs
Location
View on what3words - crawling.toothpick.trials
Original Challenge
Wedding Stone - To be lifted to a height by an adult to prove you are fit to marry and support a family.
Communion Stone - To be raised from the ground by the youth at the traditional age of first communion (10-12yrs).
Name Origin
The Stones are placed in homage to Wythburn Church.
Stones Placement
The two modern Stones were discovered and placed by @conortoms_strongman outside of the churcyard in recognition of the generations of families who would have grown up with it as the centre of their quiet community. With thanks to @sherlock_stones for assisting with the name origins and history of the site. Landowner permission granted.
History
Wythburn Chapel stands at the head of Thirlmere Valley, nestled at the foot of Helvellyn and shrouded by trees. The building dates back to 1640, though evidence of a chapel can be dated to 1554 and most probably earlier still.
Sitting opposite the (long demolished) Nags Head Inn and on the main road between Grasmere and Keswick; it was once the hub of this isolated farming community. The valley was flooded in 1894 by the Manchester Corporation to create a new reservoir, displacing the population of Wythburn and depriving a church of its congregation.
This rural and “modest house of prayer”, as described by William Wordsworth, now stands empty and alone. Though we have no evidence that Stone Lifting took place here in Thirlmere, we know that rounded stones were kept in churchyards across the England; to test strength, demonstrate manhood or prove worthy of marriage.
In a time when games and dances were not persecuted by the Church; Stones would have been lifted at weddings, funerals and Feast Days, or simply on Sabbath after prayer was finished. For this reason and to celebrate the culture of Strength Stones, we have named them 'The Wedding Stone' and 'The Communion Stone'.
The two stone are made of Shap Pink Granite and would not under normal circumstances be found in the valley. This again has been chosen to mirror other known Lifting Stones that were travelled great distances to stand out and be admired by those looking to lift them.
*PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND COURTEOUS WHEN LIFTING IN THIS SHARED SPACE. RESPECT THE CHURCH GROUNDS AND THE MEMORIES OF THOSE WHO ONCE LIVED HERE.
Access and Permissions
The stones are located on private land. Users must ensure that any lifting is compatible with the applicable access rights and restrictions and leave the stones and surrounding area as they found them.
Please read our Stonelifting Policy before attempting to lift. The policy sets out the requirements regarding access, permissions, safety, conservation and responsible lifting.
