A game board (three men's morris?) carved on the E stone bench inside the S porch of All Saints Church, Hough-on-the-Hill, Lincolnshire, England, UK.
A game board carved on the E stone bench inside the S porch of All Saints Church, Hough-on-the-Hill, Lincolnshire, England, UK. Sometimes referred to as a solitaire board or for the game of 'Flag', it was most likely used to play versions of noughts and crosses, nine holes or three men's morris (aka the smaller merels) where two players alternately place pieces (marbles, stones, coins, counters) in the holes in an attempt to form a 'mill', a row of three of their own pieces. In noughts and crosses pieces are placed until a row is formed (a win) or the grid filled without a mill (stalemate/a draw). In nine holes each player has only three pieces which are placed alternately and then moved about the board to form a mill. The lower part of the W tower and attached external circular stair turret are pre-Conquest (C10th), the rest of the church mainly C13th-15th.
Size: 3798px × 2633px
Location: All Saints Church, Hough-on-the-Hill, Caythorpe, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England, UK
Photo credit: © Mick Sharp / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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