The Cantlin Stone The Cantlin Stone is a rough stone approximately two feet across with an inscription recording the death of one Willam Cantlin in the place where it is, and the fact that he was buried at Bettws. It is accompanied by a cross, and is located only twenty or so yards away from the Wales–England border.

History

The stone was placed on the hill as a commemoration to a pedlar named William Cantlin (Originally Cantrell),"Bettws Y Crwyn; History, Geography, Farming & People." Published 2007. who mysteriously died on the hill in January 1691. It is said that he was robbed and murdered, but there are also versions of the story in which he dies of

hypothermia Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe h ...

or a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

. There was a dispute between Bettws-y-Crwyn parish and

Kerry Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in County ...

parish as to who should bury the body. Bettws buried him in the end, but claimed the ground where he lay. The incident came to public attention in 1875, when the Clun Forest Enclosure Act was passed, the parish maintained its claim of the ground with proof of the burial and was subsequently awarded "several hundred acres more" to its territory. Cantrell over time has turned into Cantlin. The name Cantrell is said to be a compound of Can't and Tell, because the parish did not want to bury a nameless man. The story has been passed down from generation to generation of people in the area. The new cross in 2010 In 1858, the Ludlow M.P.

Beriah Botfield Beriah Botfield (5 March 1807 – 7 August 1863) was a British Member of Parliament representing Ludlow in Shropshire as a Conservative. He was also a noted bibliographer, geologist and botanist. Life He was born on 5 March 1807 in Earl's Dit ...

erected a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

cross next to the original stone to commemorate the pedlar. This cross fell in 1970, and was left broken in pieces until 2000 when a grant was obtained from

South Shropshire District Council South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

to erect a new cross. The replica cross was carved in

Yorkstone Yorkstone or York stone is a variety of sandstone, specifically from quarries in Yorkshire that have been worked since the middle ages. Yorkstone is a tight grained, Carboniferous sedimentary rock. The stone consists of quartz, mica, feldsp ...

by Jonathan Bower Protheroe. The pieces of the old cross were laid across the unmarked grave at Bettws-y-Crwyn church thought to be the pedlar's grave.

Cantlin Stone Free Festival

From 1980 to 1990 a free festival was held at the stone, but was moved to

Llanbister Llanbister is a small village and community with a 2011 population of 382 in Powys, mid Wales, in the historic county of Radnorshire. Facilities The village is not directly served by a railway station: the nearest is Llanbister Road railway s ...

in 1991.

References

{{Coord, 52, 28, 28.48, N, 3, 10, 31.75, W, display=title, type:landmark_region:GB Monuments and memorials in Shropshire

History

Cantlin Stone Free Festival

See also

References