The Millenium Stone

Commissioned to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of the parish (987-1987) the stone came from material left over from the building of the new bridge over the River Piddle at the northern entrance into Briantspuddle around about 1922.

The stones for the new bridge came from the original Town Bridge in Weymouth over the inner harbour.  The late Geoff Gale kindly retrieved a good looking one from a pile on the river bank and took it to Haysom’s quarry on St Aldhelms Head where it was carved to a design by young Alex Russell, who had won the competition held for the best design.

Originally it had been hoped it would go in the Church wall at Affpuddle, but there was some problem in getting permission, so it ended up where it is, on a small patch of kerbside land just to the west of the Briantspuddle crossroads. This was reckoned to be the next best place where people visiting the area are likely to see it.