the SW last week. I have meant to do so on several such trips but have
never had the nerve (what I mean is I have always missed the
turning.... approaching from the direction of London requires slowing
in the outside lane to turn right, then through the central
reservation and back a short way to the turning).
The stone was erected in the 18th century to commemorate the spot in
which King William the second (nickname Rufus) was shot accidentally
by an arrow in 1100. The stone was encased in a triangular prism of
iron in the 19th century and has the story of the death and
transportation of the body to Winchester in raised lettering on the
three sides. I drove on from there through part of the New Forest
before getting back onto the A31. A quick google search would tell you
much more of the history, the site is interesting more than
atmospheric I thought (the location of the stone is apparently a bit
approximate) but certainly well worth a visit. The iron case has an
historic feel to it, a product of the industrial revolution, a time
when a project could be over-engineered and 'built to last'.
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