Not a mushroom!

Thoroughly enjoyed a weekend coverting honey-coloured stone cotteges in the Cotswolds.

This one particularly caught my eye, I think partly as I rather liked the ornamental stone mushrooms marking the boundary.

But these were no mushrooms! Following a quick bit of research I believe these are in fact staddle stones - supporting bases for a granary: the circular tops made it almost impossible for rats to climb up into the hay or grain stored above, whilst air could freely circulate beneath the stored crops helping to keep them dry.

Clever! (and surprisingly similar to the wooden houses on stilts I was so familiar with in Cambodia?).