A boundary stone in Leigh made at the end of the 17th Century has been restored and sited in its original position. 

The historic Pennington-Bedford-Atherton Boundary Stone, dating pre 1698, was sited, at last, in its original position at the former corner of Brown Street South and Chapel Street Leigh, by the new Arches Apartments buildings.

The Stone had been refaced and Benchmarked in 1857.

It was rescued by Avis Freeman of Leigh Soroptimists in 2015 from the former masonry scrapyard adjacent Ince Health Centre.

It had ended up there following demolition of Brown Street South in the 1970s.

Leigh Journal: Left to right: Councillor Lee Robert McStein, Michael Caine and Avis Freeman near the historic Pennington-Bedford-Atherton Boundary Stone, which has been restored and sited in its original position Left to right: Councillor Lee Robert McStein, Michael Caine and Avis Freeman near the historic Pennington-Bedford-Atherton Boundary Stone, which has been restored and sited in its original position (Image: Rachel Leahy)After being incorrectly installed at the Arches site in 2019, it took four years of liaison, Covid Pandemic interrupting, between Michael Caine, local historian and member of the Leigh, Atherton & Tyldesley Heritage Group, and Wigan Council, for it to be finally and successfully to its historic position.

He was joined by councillor Lee Robert McStein, Avis and friends at the installation ceremony. 

The stone is awaiting Grade 2 listing as Historic Street Furniture, which was described as 'a first for the town."