Taking Stock

Today was another Bank Holiday Monday (the second of three this month). So of course, as per the previous one at the start of the month, the weather was yet again uncooperative - grey and pretty chilly.
We were determined to not let this spoil our day and decided on a micro trip back to the village of Marden. This time we wanted to frequent The Unicorn pub (we arrived far too early on our last visit) for a pint and have another stroll around the village itself.
We arrived just before midday and settled on getting our walk in first. The village was just as interesting and charismatic as it was on our initial visit.
My main image is of the village stocks which we came across on a circular walk around the churchyard of St Michael's And All Angels (see extra).
The stocks were used to punish minor offenders (one example being that they sometimes had the motto "Drunk Again" painted on to them). They originally stood by the village's court house where local justice had been meted out since the 1400's.
As well as serving to restrain and humiliate offenders the stocks may possibly have served as the site of a whipping post. The stocks were last used in the 1860's - there is an engraving of the court house dated 1882, where the stocks can be dimly seen stored inside.
Later in the same year they were moved from their original position by the Lord of the Manor, a Mr E Hussey, who had them repositioned to outside to the west of the entrance porch of the church, where they still stand to this day.
Our thirst for historical knowledge quenched but not our actual thirst we then headed to The Unicorn for our pints, where I was a bit taken aback to be charged nearly £14! Having said that it's not a bad price for a trip out, with a couple of pints and a history lesson thrown in! :-)