Friday Photo- ‘A’ and ‘B’ Boundary Stone

Have you ever spotted this seemingly insignificant piece of stone when walking past Millennium Point on Jennens Road, just opposite Aston University’s campus? Well, you’d be forgiven for not noticing it, but did you know that in 1764, this stone marked the boundary between the parishes of Aston and Birmingham? In fact, the ‘A’ and ‘B’ on the stone actually gave name to AB Row! Aston Parish was sizable, extending from Deritend, all the way to Water Orton in North Warwickshire. In comparison, Birmingham Parish was much smaller, only covering part of the city centre, Ladywood and Soho. For many years, the stone has been attached to numerous buildings throughout Birmingham, including the factory of Gabriel and Co, which in fact preserved the stone so that it could be positioned on its original site. Next time you’re wandering the streets of central Birmingham, see if you can spot it yourself!