Staddle Stones

In keeping with my (previously unspecified) English Country House, I have three staddle stones in my garden.  Mine were imported from England and probably from the 1700's.  I use them as decorative garden ornaments.  Many people think they're just stone mushrooms, but they actually have a very long and interesting history. 

Staddle stones were found in England and northern Spain as far back as medieval times.  Used as agricultural building supports, they held up granaries, haystacks and beehives, to protect them from small animals and allow air circulation underneath.  The word 'staddle' comes from the Old English word 'stathol' or base.  

Staddle stones were made of two stones, a 2-3 foot high pyramidal or cylindrical base and a rounded top or cap.  Usually made of granite or sandstone, they were carved from whatever stone was readily available.  

Today these antique staddle stones can be placed in gardens as a focal point, as bollards along a road, or to mark an entrance.  Because of their age, many are covered with lichen, which adds to their present-day appeal.  

Knowing that groupings should be odd numbers to be aesthetically pleasing, I also know that authentically staddle stones would always have been utilized in fours, and even numbers after that.  This posed a collector's dilemma!  But mine are not matching in stone or size, and are from different locations, so they could never have been used together.  So my reasoning is--only if you find a matching set, do you need four or more.  Problem solved!