So as I mentioned in my 100th post, I love learning new things, and have learnt so much since working with the National Trust! I learnt another new thing the other day from a colleague, about some false information I had posted on my blog a little while ago.
In my post about Smythson’s year I posted this picture and said it was a Mason’s Mark outside the Hall:
The OS Bench Mark
However I was told by one of Hardwick’s own team of Masons that it is actually an Ordnance Survey Bench Mark, so I did a bit of research to understand exactly what this means.
An Ordnance Survey Bench Marks were used so that when you found the mark you know the exact height above sea level of where you are. There are around 500 000 marks still around, but that number is waning as buildings are redeveloped and since the system is no longer being maintained the Bench Marks are not being replaced. I found all this information on the Ordnance Survey website, found here: http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/benchmarks/
So now I know I have a feeling I shall be spotting these marks everywhere!
View from my attic 