Milestone in London Road

  • Milestone on Old London Road in 1927
  • Milestone on London Road in 2005. It is about 600mm high.
  • Location of moved milestone in 2020
  • Benchmark on the reverse of the milestone
  • Holton House layout plan showing, at point L,  South Lodge Avenue which exited onto Old London Road west of the road to Waterperry
  • Showing the concrete used to embed the milestone when moved
  • The large metal staple
Archive Notes:

Photo of the milestone on the Old London Road in 1927. The shadows in the photo imply that it was taken facing west, so the milestone would have been on the south side of the road as it is on the current London Road. The second photo was taken in 2005 when moved to the new London Road just before the first "Tudorbethan" house on the left. The milestone reads "XLVI miles from London to Oxford".

On the reverse of the milestone is a benchmark, shown below.

When moved, the milestone was concreted into its position such that the miles to Oxford are not visible and probably infilled when the concreting took place. Also it appears that the milestone had split as there is a large metal 'staple' evident on the top. A report, dated 15 September 2022, by the Milestone Society is included. An image held at Oxford History Centre shows that the VI (6 miles) to Oxford was present before this milestone was concrted in.

The milestone would have been on the Old London Road, but whether near where the South Lodge Avenue exited onto this (well to the east of the milestone's current position) is unlikely cannot be speculated.

Listing details state 'Milestone. Probably early C18. Limestone. Tapering circular stone with rounded top, inscribed on side "XLVIII / miles from / London / To Oxford / VI". The road was turnpiked by the Stokenchurch and Enslow Trust in 1719'.

 

 

 

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