Mystery Symbol on Lazy Lion Wall

A curious symbol was spotted on the outside wall of the Lazy Lion in Milford on Sea high street.

The symbol is an 'arrow with a horizontal line above'.

After a little research, the symbol has been identified as an Ordnance Survey Benchmark.

As the Ordinance Survey explains: Many think the Benchmark symbol is War Office-related, but it is in fact an OS Benchmark (BM) and a means of marking a height above sea level. 

Surveyors in our history made these marks to record height above Ordnance Datum Newlyn (ODN – mean sea level determined at Newlyn in Cornwall). If the exact height of one BM was known, the exact height of the next could be found by measuring the difference in heights, through a process of spirit levelling. 

They can be found cut into houses, churches, bridges and many other structures. There are around 500,000 benchmarks in various formats dotted across Great Britain, although we no longer use them today.

Today, our surveyors use GNSS technology and it takes just seconds to do a task which could take days in our past. 

To read more about Ordinance Survey Benchmarks, please click here.

Benchmark on
The White Horse

PS: Since publishing this article, local historian, and friend of Milford on Sea News, Bob Braid has informed us that there is also a Benchmark on the front wall of the White Horse pub, which is currently derelict and awaiting redevelopment

He also knows that there is one on All Saints' Church, and one on the boundary wall of Saltgrass at Keyhaven. He expects that there are also others as well.

If you spot any Benchmarks around the village, please let us know and we will add them to the list.

The Lazy Lion
01590 641111
info@thelazylion.co.uk
www.thelazylion.co.uk
www.facebook.com/lazylionmilford