Description

The monument is officially described as a "plain stone pillar with a gabled head". Today, it resembles a simple, unmarked milestone or gravestone and is heavily weathered. Because it is often obscured by surrounding brush and foliage, it can sometimes be difficult for walkers to spot.  Although the stone currently bears no visible inscription, it originally carried a message that began: "Let future generations know...". The stone was erected to mark the site of a brutal murder that took place on Wednesday, August 21, 1782. It is historically significant because it commemorates an early criminal conviction based entirely on circumstantial evidence.  The victim was a man named James Stares. After successfully collecting a debt, Stares spent the evening drinking at the local New Inn. Unbeknownst to him, a local blacksmith named John Taylor had watched him pocket the money. When Stares left the pub around 11:30 PM, Taylor—carrying a mop handle to use as a walking stick—offered to walk part of the way home with him.  The next morning, Stares was found dead by the side of the road on Cams Hill. He had been severely battered, his throat was cut, and the mop handle was found nearby, splintered into fragments from the sheer force of the attack. His purse of money, shoe buckles, and sleeve buttons had been stolen.  Taylor was taken into custody. While he firmly denied the crime, a search of his forge revealed a blood-caked smock hidden behind the machinery and smeared with dirt. Even then, Taylor denied owning the garment, but his own mother was sworn in and identified it as his. The stone was subsequently placed at the site of the attack, likely serving both as a memorial to James Stares and a grim warning to passersby.