| Rufus Stone (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Rufus Stone
Photographer Description of Rufus Stone
This panorama shows the Rufus Stone in the New Forest and the tree under which it is placed. The stone itself is not visible in the satellite view of the Google map as it is under the tree. However the paths that lead to the Rufus stone from the car park are clearly visible. There are numerous small walks around the New Forest that can start at the Rufus Stone, and the Walter Tyrell inn, named after the person thought to have shot Rufus, is a short distance down the road.Rufus Stone - Further Information
The Rufus Stone is a memorial to King William II, son of William the Conqueror, who was also known as Rufus. Rufus was killed by an arrow in the lungs in 1100 whilst hunting in the New Forest in Hampshire. Whilst this was reported as a hunting accident, the issue has never been resolved. His hunting compnion, Walter Tyrell, fled to France (the Sir Walter Tyrell inn just down the road is named after him). His brother, Harry, hurried to London to secure the treasury and the crown, and the nobles fled to secure their own estates. Rufus ruled with an iron fist, and whilst he was popular with the army, the people hated him. His body lay unattended for a few days and was then carried to Winchester Cathedral by a local charcoal-burner. Rufus was interred within Winchester Cathedral.The Rufus Stone was erected by Earl De La Warr in 1745 and marks the approximate spot where King Rufus died. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the stone had become damaged and was encased in iron in 1841. The Rufus Stone is triangular with an inscription on each face. It stands in a glen in the new forest near to the A31.
One of the inscriptions on the Rufus Stone reads:
Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100. King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis, and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church, of that city.
Travel Directions and Getting There:
The Rufus stone is on Brook, a country lane that heads north from the A31. This junction is found a couple of miles south of where the A31 joins the M27, a little north of Stoney Cross.
