THE discovery of an ancient stone used for grinding crops has given pupils at a dale school a fascinating insight into farming practices of times past.
Farmer Robin Bellas uncovered the saddle quern while working part of his land at Timpton Hill Farm, Brignall.
He took the stone in to St Mary’s RC Primary School, Barnard Castle, where his son William is a pupil.
Eight-year-old William and his classmates have all tried their hand at grinding cereals on the stone, while his dad dropped in to answer questions about life on the farm.
Mr Bellas said: “Brignall has a rich history of prehistoric activity. Many items have been found in this area, such as saddle querns, axe heads and beads.
“It is amazing to watch children at St Mary’s grinding corn on a saddle quern similar to those which have been used for over 5,000 years.”
Mr Bellas said he knew he was onto something out of the ordinary when he uncovered the stone.
“I recognised as something that wasn’t simply a stone – you know when something has been altered from its natural state,” he said.
