Milestones are often
regarded as emblematic of the turnpike era. After all, Turnpike Trusts were
obliged through their individual Act of Parliament, to measure the roads and
erect markers at one Statute mile interval indicating the distance to the towns
at the end of the road. It is certainly true that many of the milestones we can
still observe, placed at regular intervals beside the road, were erected by the
turnpike trustees in fulfilment of this requirement. However, many milestones,
though old and beside turnpike routes, date from after the turnpike era. Even some milestones that were erected before
the end of the turnpikes in the 1870s may not have been erected by local Highway
Boards, not the trusts.
Some milestones
proclaim the fact that they were put up by County Councils, which came into
existence in 1888, and so these definitely post-date the turnpikes trusts (e.g.
North Yorkshire,
In other counties, the
similarity of milestone design across large areas suggests that a central
authority had commissioned these (e.g. Staffordshire). In several instances, there
are records that show that the county placed contracts with a particular
foundry for a single design to replace the enormously diverse of stones and
plates used by the individual turnpike trusts (e.g. Staffordshire). In much of
the North, South and West Ridings of Yorkshire the distinctive Brayshaw &
Booth milestones display the names of the old turnpike roads on the new plates,
but records show these were erected by the County and date from around 1900.
Other cases are more
difficult to judge with certainty. In
Materials of
construction can indicate a post-turnpike date for a mile marker. Steel was not
available at low cost until the early 20th century and so pressed
steel mileposts such as those found on minor roads in Buckinghamshire, can be
assigned to a post-turnpike period. In Worcestershire a large number of new
milestones made from concrete were erected in the 1930s. These Bradley
milestones, named after the
Finally, there are the
modern replacements for milestones that have been lost or badly damaged.
Generally these will have a date indicating when they were erected, but this
may not have been best practice in the early 20th century and so
some unusual markers within a historic turnpike series may be Council
replacements. Some of these can be identified by comparing the text recorded on
the early OS maps of around 1880 with the present inscriptions; though it is
wise to rely solely on the mapped evidence.
It must also be
remembered that almost all milestones have been moved since the turnpike era.
In May 1940 County Councils arranged to bury, remove or deface all road signs,
including milestones, in anticipation of a potential invasion. Most markers
were re-instated in their original positions after the War but some were
displaced or modified. Re-facing and re-painting of the markers has been
essential and accumulated errors may have significantly altered the display and
shape of some markers (e.g. Wiltshire stones)
So, a surprisingly
large proportion of the milestones we see today are not the ones erected by the
Turnpike Trusts 250 years ago. In
Other Wayside Markers
BEDFORDSHIRE – one modern
replacement plate
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE – Pressed
steel mileposts erected by County in 20th century on minor roads
around Newport and Brill (18 survive); 6 aluminium plates on old Holyhead Road;
and 10 assorted replacements stones and plates.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE – none
identified
CORNWALL – potentially
over 240, though most identified from records rather than evidence on the
milemarker - mainly milestones on main roads that were not turnpikes – erected
variously by Highway Boards, Parishes, local gentry or County Council (e.g. 11
on Kilkhampton road erected by County on nominated main road that was not a
turnpike). Examples highlighted by Ian Thompson search of records.
DERBYSHIRE – one UDC
Milepost, 2 replacement posts
DEVON – 4 replacement
stones (note that 104 Barum stones were commissioned and erected by the
trustees when the
GLOUCESTERSHIRE – 3 County
of Worcs dated posts; several replacement plates
HAMPSHIRE– none identified
HEREFORDSHIRE – 13 RDC
posts
HERTFORDSHIRE – none identified
LEICESTERSHIRE – 9 crested
mileposts maybe LCC (not counted in table)
MIDDLESEX – 1 Local Board
post; 1 dated City plate
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE – two modern plate
NORTHUMBERLAND – 1
composite
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE – 1 NCC
cast post
OXFORDSHIRE – none
identified; but suspect that a cluster of 5 around Abingdon are Highway Board
stones
SOMERSET – 6 SCC 1911
posts; 6 Honiton/Taunton posts; 7 replacement stone
STAFFORDSHIRE – 219
Charles Lathe Castings; 65 Cochrane Castings; 1 replacement stone
WARWICKSHIRE – none
identified
NORTH YORKSHIRE – 3
replacement stones, 1 plate; 20 B&B Yorks Council V Plates; 16 RDC/NYC Rose
castings; 27 NRYCC Castings; 15 Hwy Dist Castings; 14 Towler castings and
others – total 226 mainly posts and V shaped plates on stones.
WILTSHIRE - one replica stone; several stones have
incorrect text painted on eroded surfaces.
WORCESTERSHIRE; 62 Bradley
stones; 8 RDC posts
Number of post-turnpike Milemarkers in English Counties
– based on Milestone Society
database
COUNTY |
Total Milestones Listed
by EH |
Guess at Total surviving milestones |
Post Turnpikes milestones |
Post Turnpike milestones
listed |
BEDFORDSHIRE |
1 |
18 |
1 |
|
|
86 |
102 |
6 |
|
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE |
16 |
147 |
34 |
|
CAMBRIDGESHIRE |
104 |
138 |
0 |
|
|
70 |
295 |
210 |
5 |
|
340 |
500 |
243 |
138 |
|
188 |
260 |
0 |
|
DERBYSHIRE |
116 |
188 |
3 |
|
|
131 |
400 |
4 |
|
|
53 |
228 |
0 |
|
|
75 |
155 |
5 |
|
|
52 |
119 |
0 |
|
GLOUCESTERSHIRE |
148 |
220 |
3 |
|
HAMPSHIRE |
106 |
335 |
0 |
|
HEREFORDSHIRE |
107 |
250 |
13 |
|
HERTFORDSHIRE |
62 |
90 |
0 |
|
|
25 |
140 |
0 |
|
|
77 |
110 |
6 |
|
LEICESTERSHIRE |
50 |
72 |
0 |
|
|
81 |
140 |
4 |
|
MIDDLESEX |
0 |
65 |
1 |
|
|
18 |
350 |
55 |
|
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE |
11 |
30 |
2 |
|
NORTHUMBERLAND |
162 |
210 |
1 |
|
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE |
10 |
35 |
1 |
|
OXFORDSHIRE
* |
71 |
190 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
10 |
0 |
|
|
159 |
300 |
0 |
|
|
214 |
280 |
19 |
|
STAFFORDSHIRE |
188 |
387 |
285 |
106 |
|
15 |
150 |
2 |
|
|
20 |
165 |
1 |
|
|
0 |
65 |
0 |
|
WARWICKSHIRE |
14 |
45 |
0 |
|
|
17 |
112 |
2 |
|
|
247 |
400 |
226 |
113 |
|
111 |
144 |
68 |
56 |
|
233 |
340 |
223 |
115 |
WILTSHIRE |
302 |
380 |
1 |
|
WORCESTERSHIRE |
29 |
230 |
70 |
3 |
|
3821 |
7795 |
1489 |
536 |
*
Significant changes in County size |
|
Say 7800 |
Say 1500 |
Say 500 |
Examples
of Local Authority Milemarkers
|
|
|
|
Bucks CC Steel
milepost |
Somerset
CC replacement of earlier DCC milepost |
Cheshire CC 1896
casting |
Staffs CC Casting |
|
|
|
|
North Riding of |
South
Riding of |
North
Riding of Yorks CC; Brayshaw and Booth type Casting |
Holsworthy Highway
Board milestone, Devon |
This page created by Alan Rosevear 19th Feb 2009.
Last Edited 9 th March 2009.