Boundary marker

A slate boundary stone on Maesglase

A boundary marker, boundary stone or border stone is a robust physical marker that identifies the start of a land boundary or the change in a boundary, especially a change in a direction of a boundary. They have often been used to mark critical points on boundaries between countries or local administrations but have also been used to mark out the limits of private land-holdings especially in areas where fences or walls are impractical or unnecessary.

Boundary markers are often made of stone and are typically placed at a notable or especially visible point. Many are inscribed with relevant information such as the abbreviation of the boundary holder and often a date.

Boundary markers may be used to mark property boundaries (land-ownership), or political boundaries.

In developed countries use of markers for land-ownership has in many places been replaced by maps and land ownership registration. Markers are still used extensively for marking international borders; international boundary markers are placed and maintained by mutual agreement of the bordering countries.

See also

• Milestone A milestone or kilometre sign is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at regular intervals, typically at the side of the road or in a median.
• survey marker
• Tripoint
• Bai Sema (Template:Lang-th) which delimit sacred areas

Gallery

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  Border stone from 1763 between countries Norway and Sweden, located in the Arctic]]
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  Border stone at Passo San Giacomo between Val Formazza in Italy and Val Bedretto in Switzerland
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  Two french-swiss border boundary markers.