Stone mushrooms or staddle stone date back to the time of the medieval period which was used to support grain stores or other agricultural storage on them. They have a tapering section of stone with a top looking much like a mushroom. The main purpose was to raise the grain store off the ground to make a free airflow. They were set out in sets of as many as 16, with the frame of the building placed on top.
Stone Mushrooms are commonly the limestone boulders that get undercut by past weathering regimes. These rocks get into solitary sentinels of limestone which bear the unmistakable marks of long-continued erosion by soil or waves at the edge of lakes that have since vanished or retreated. These stones when gets shaped like mushrooms are called stone mushrooms. They have an overhang facing in just one direction and prolonged exposure to standing water at some time in the past. The mushroom-shaped stones are then produced where the notching forms a fairly even circle around the stone.
This is generally formed when the limestone boulder stands at the edge of a lake that is partly covered by water. Half of the part in the water weathers more rapidly than the part above water. This makes it subject to more constant corrosion by water. The abrasive lapping action of waves causes a mushroom shape. This continues unless the upper part gets undercut, and the stone assumes a very distinctive form.
Design
Stone mushroom is used in different areas in the UK. The base may get varied in the form of cylindrical to rectangular or even triangular. There are also many places where flat-topped cone-shaped stone mushrooms are found. In every shape, the top always supports the beams. The materials that are used on the stone marble depend on the stone available. There are many varieties in natural stone such as sandstone, red sandstone, granite examples, etc.
Function
The base stones towards the top create an overlapping stone placed above. This makes it almost impossible for small animals like a rodent to climb up and when the grain stored above. The shape also allows the air to freely circulate beneath the stored crops and works best to keep it dry. A stone framework was placed onto the tops of the stones and stone mushroom are being arranged in two or three rows to even more
Granaries
These granaries were used for the storage of separate crops. The arrangement of the stone mushroom was done to support the structure and its weight when in use. The production of staddles was a fairly significant local industry and many small granaries could make do with easily with stone mushrooms.
Stone mushrooms or Staddles are often found in architectural salvage yards. They have various attractive structures and used for several purposes. They can be sold new, being made from natural stone. Asian provides the best stone mushroom that is naturally carved from the stones. They can be used as garden seats or for other purposes as mentioned above.