Marvellous Milestones

Along the Road

The rule of the road is a paradox quite,

Both in riding and driving along;

If you keep to the left, you are sure to be right,

If you keep to the right, you are wrong

Early Eighteenth Century Rhyme

Milestones are almost obsolete today, except as a historical record.  Modern transport does not require milestones, which are practically invisible to motorists.  However, for several centuries milestones were the only form of reference for walkers before maps had been standardised. They not only let walkers know where they were but they were also used to time mail coaches and walking races and work out the cost of postage and of hiring horses.

In more remote parts of Britain such as the Peak District and the Yorkshire Moors, travellers often perished as they became lost without features to orient themselves.  In an attempt to do something about this needless loss of life, William III decreed that guide stones be erected in such regions in 1697.

Since the advent of the car, milestones have become less relevant but in recent years their importance as historical landmarks has been recognised and they are now being preserved and restored.

In all that has been done of late, in the way of country-side preservation and the care of ancient monuments, no general effort seems to have been made on behalf of some of our oldest friends, the milestones.  It is sad to see, in many parts of the country, what a state of decay many of them are in, and it is to be feared that most of these stones may in time disappear altogether. 

The Romans well understood the value of milestones, and all their roads on the Continent were flanked with pillars erected at equal distances which marked the number of miles from Rome.  It was natural, then, that when they came to Britain and built their military roads some 2000 years ago, they set up milestones to measure the distances along these roads.  What happened to these milestones we do not know, but presumably the system fell into disuse after their departure and the stones perished as did so many of the other Roman works in Britain.

Milestone

In the Museum at Lincoln can be seen one of the few authentic Roman milestones (Miliarium).  It was found near the cross-roads at Bailgate; and gives the distance of Lincoln from Littleborough-on-Trent as fourteen miles.  In the Norman Church at Wroxeter is another Roman milestone.

There is considerable doubt as to the origin of the famous London Stone which occupies a position in the wall of St. Swithin’s Church in Cannon Street, but it is considered by some authorities to date from Roman times, and to have formed the central milestone from which all distances were measured.  It is a fact that the Romans placed a stone in such a position in all the countries they conquered.

The Roman mile was 1,000 paces, and 725 Roman miles were equivalent to 665 of our English miles.

Each British milestone is said by some to be monument to our obstinate disregard of the metric system, and I am afraid that the accuracy of many old milestones is very much to be doubted.  One choice example, for instance, is to be seen outside the Red Lion Hotel at Atherstone, Warwickshire, which calmly states that London, Lincoln and Liverpool are each 100 miles away.  Lincoln is less than 70 miles away, London is 102 miles and Liverpool is a few miles over the 100.

In days gone by there was a decree that the king could not travel more than fifty miles away from London without a minister.  In the Georgian era this restriction was such an annoyance to royalty, that although Brighton was fifty-one and three quarter miles from London, all the milestones stated it was less than fifty!

Marker on the Montgomery Canal

Before we smile at the above variations we should remember that although English ordinary miles contains 1,760 yards, the English geographical miles has 2,096, the Admiralty mile 2,027 and the nautical 2,026.

Some of the oldest milestones in England (excluding those set up by the Romans) are to be found along the high road going from Cambridge to the village of Barkway, a distance of about sixteen miles.  There were sixteen stones originally, but some of them have now disappeared.  One, however, which is to be found about three miles from Royston, is in quite good condition.  The crest upon it is that of Trinity Hall, and the reason of the decoration is that one of the dons of the Hall left a sum of money for the repair of the road – over which he had often travelled – and for the erection of sixteen “respectable” milestones; and in 1731 the more decorative examples were put up in place of the previous insignificant types.  It was not, however, until the seventeenth century that it was thought necessary to take much trouble over the milestones on our roads.  Then the passing of the General Turnpike Act in 1766 made their provision compulsory.

To the Wayfarer our ancient milestones are always interesting, and not infrequently beautiful, and like Dick Whittington of old a man may rest upon a milestone before he passes on his journey.  They are the present, with the past on one side of them and the future on the other.  “Thus far”, they say, “have you come; thus far remains for you to go.”  For them there is always a beginning and an end.

Written by Ronnie in 2016