Chances are when you come across staddle stones they will be a decorative feature in an English garden or alongside a drive. They are made from two stones the top one balancing on the other and look like giant mushrooms, but what is / was their purpose?

Well, these photos show how buildings where food was stored, such as granaries, were once perched on top of a set of staddle stones.

One reason for their use was to raise the building off the floor to keep its contents dry. The capping stone was used to prevent rats and mice climbing up for a feast.