Primrose Stone

When I started finding and recording the Eden Benchmarks or Sculptures for Sitting, this was the first one I blipped. That was back in August last year. As I was in Appleby this afternoon, I thought I would take another picture of it, this time without the rain and the undergrowth, and showing its position in relation to the river.

So here it is - The Primrose Stone.

Now it looks more like a seat that you might like to sit in and watch the river go by. This bridge is relatively new, but there has been a bridge here since the 13th Century. And a ford here has always been a major crossing place of the River Eden, used as far back as the Vikings.

The weir you can see in the picture is probably of Roman origin and was built as an artificial barrier, deepening the river to allow boats to supply their fort at Brough. It was later used to supply power for the mill, which is still standing, although no longer functioning as a mill.

This whole area is known as Old Appleby or Bongate. The main town of Appleby is across the bridge. The name Bongate comes from the word Bondgate and refers to the fact that in the street here lived those bondsmen who were "attendant upon the castle to execute the servile and laborious offices". If you sit in the Primrose Stone and look up, you can see the castle buildings on the other side of the river.

Amazing to think just how many people have walked over this same bit of land by the same river over the centuries.