Tony Garofalo
The Aiggin Stone
The “Aiggin Stone” is located approximately two miles east of the town of Littleborough (“Little Fort” or “Little Stronghold”) and stands at the top of the old road (www.flickr.com/photos/67668518@N08/9315234979/) that crosses Blackstone Edge (www.flickr.com/photos/67668518@N08/9341174143/), roughly parallel to the modern A58 road. This road is marked as a Roman Road on Ordnance Survey maps but is considered by most historians to be a much more recent turnpike road dating back to circa 1735. It may have been pre-dated by a Roman road and it was certainly pre-dated by earlier medieval pack-horse tracks. The “Aiggin Stone” is thought to be a mediaeval guide post for travellers that once stood beside the tracks that crossed the hill. Others, however, claim that it was once a boundary stone. It is thought to be nearly 600 years old.
To the best of my knowledge the first mention of the “Aiggin Stone” dates back to an engineer’s map from 1800. The name could possibly be derived from the French word “aguille”, meaning a needle or a sharp-pointing rock, or alternatively it could be derived from “aigle”, meaning eagle. The stone is composed of the local millstone grit. It is nearly 4ft high and is inscribed with a Latin cross and the letters "I.T.". It was originally 7ft high but the lower section of the pillar has broken off. In the 1930s it was found lying on its side in the moorland heather but thankfully it was re-erected in 1933, although brainless vandals have knocked it over a couple of times since then and may possibly do so again in the future.
The Aiggin Stone
The “Aiggin Stone” is located approximately two miles east of the town of Littleborough (“Little Fort” or “Little Stronghold”) and stands at the top of the old road (www.flickr.com/photos/67668518@N08/9315234979/) that crosses Blackstone Edge (www.flickr.com/photos/67668518@N08/9341174143/), roughly parallel to the modern A58 road. This road is marked as a Roman Road on Ordnance Survey maps but is considered by most historians to be a much more recent turnpike road dating back to circa 1735. It may have been pre-dated by a Roman road and it was certainly pre-dated by earlier medieval pack-horse tracks. The “Aiggin Stone” is thought to be a mediaeval guide post for travellers that once stood beside the tracks that crossed the hill. Others, however, claim that it was once a boundary stone. It is thought to be nearly 600 years old.
To the best of my knowledge the first mention of the “Aiggin Stone” dates back to an engineer’s map from 1800. The name could possibly be derived from the French word “aguille”, meaning a needle or a sharp-pointing rock, or alternatively it could be derived from “aigle”, meaning eagle. The stone is composed of the local millstone grit. It is nearly 4ft high and is inscribed with a Latin cross and the letters "I.T.". It was originally 7ft high but the lower section of the pillar has broken off. In the 1930s it was found lying on its side in the moorland heather but thankfully it was re-erected in 1933, although brainless vandals have knocked it over a couple of times since then and may possibly do so again in the future.