The Millennium Stones, Gatton Park - description

Image: © Ian Capper Taken: 8 Jun 2008

See Image The sign reads: The Millennium Stones These stones were created by Richard Kindersley during 1998 to 1999 to mark the double millennium from AD1 to AD2000. The first stone in the series is inscribed with the words from St John’s Gospel, “in the beginning the word was …”. The subsequent nine stones are carved with quotations contemporary with each 200 year segment, ending with the words of T S Eliot. The generosity of the Jerusalem Trust enabled the stones to be purchased and installed here at Gatton Park during 2003. Stone 1 Saint John’s Gospel circa 100 AD "In the beginning the word was. And the Word was with God." Stone 2 Saint Augustine 354-430 AD "Too late have I loved you, O Beauty, ancient yet ever new. Too late have I loved you! And behold, you were within but I was outside, searching." Stone 3 Anicius Manlius Boethius 480-524 AD "A person is an individual substance of a rational nature." Stone 4 John Scotius Erigena 810-877 AD "Although I know that I am, my knowledge of myself is not prior to myself." Stone 5 Saint Anselm 1033-1109 AD "For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, but I believe in order to understand. For I believe this; unless I believe, I will not understand." Stone 6 Saint Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274 AD "The soul is known by its acts." Stone 7 William Shakespeare 1564-1616 AD "There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or we lose our ventures." Stone 8 Saint Francis of Sales 1567-1622 AD "Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try and be that perfectly." Stone 9 Johann von Goethe 1749-1832 AD "The deed is all, the glory nothing." Stone 10 T S Eliot 1888-1965 AD "At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement." The Caithness flagstones are quarried in the far north of Scotland near Thurso. Geologically they are interesting because although the stone was laid down 240 million years ago, it is still flat and level on the quarry bed. This makes it possible to prise large slabs from the underlying strata. The stone, like slate, has a very high tensile strength and is therefore immensely strong. The Millennium Stones have been placed here at Gatton Park, as this site lies directly on the Pilgrims Way. This ancient road from the south-west via Winchester to Canterbury has been the path of Christian pilgrims for many centuries. We hope that the Millennium Stones will provide a place for people to stop, rest and reflect.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0