At the corner of Burton Stone lane, behind iron railings, is the Burton Stone itself. Some have claimed it is prehistoric in origin. It marked the location of the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene, where travellers would pray for safe passage through the wolf-riddled Forest of Galtres. Others propose the stone is the base of one of a number of crosses erected around the city. These crosses were boundary-markers where farmers could sell their wares without entering York itself. Depressions in the stone may also have been filled with vinegar in order to clean coins during outbreaks of plague.
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