In these days of GPS on our phones, the necessity for traditional directional and distance waymarkers has become more opaque. That doesn’t mean they don’t still hold a fascination for those interested in our transport and cultural heritage or merit protection from loss or damage.
Finding these old milestones and fingerposts, and helping to restore and protect them, can be an adventure in itself. They can take the hosteller on a journey which is both fulfilling and worthwhile, adding another dimension to exploring our countryside and old settlements. There’s even a society to tap into!
The Milestone Society was established in 2001, and its 400 members have sought out and recorded details of over 9,000 remaining milestones. Many of which have dated from the turnpike era around the mid-1700s to the end of the 19th century, when 20,000 miles of toll roads criss-crossed England. Several milestones are within easy reach of YHA hostels — so look out for them on your next walk or cycle tour.
You don’t need to go far if you’re staying at YHA Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales. There’s an old turnpike milestone immediately adjacent to the hostel, although it’s in need of some careful restoration. But take the B6255, which used to be the Richmond to Lancaster turnpike, to YHA Ingleton, and you’ll pass several 19th century mileposts in-situ.
Society member, Hilary Jones, has embarked on a project to restore several mileposts in Lancashire and Yorkshire. She’s currently got the Grinton milepost in her sights. Badly needing a refurb, but contrasting that with another she did earlier on the road to Reeth, demonstrates what a difference a lick of paint can make to these roadside artefacts.
A recent initiative in the South West Peak Landscape Partnership involved local communities engaging in restoring and conserving milestones and mileposts in and around this part of the National Park. Tremendous results — have a look yourself when you stay at YHA Hartington Hall.
If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well, and the society has produced practical guidelines on restoration and conservation. Ian Thompson, our resident advisor based in Cornwall, has undertaken significant restorations on historic milestones and provides practical advice to other enthusiasts.
Milestones are the property of the highway authority, usually the county council. The society works with highway engineers to keep our milestones in good condition for the benefit and enjoyment of all. With the approval of the highway authority and within health and safety limits, society members have cleared, cleaned and repainted milestones. Damaged milestones can be repaired and missing parts can be recovered or replaced.
The society maintains databases and has displayed our information on Google Earth mapping. We actively encourage you to update this information from your own knowledge and investigations and to share information via our Facebook group.
We’re particularly keen where a series of milestones can be protected and promoted as part of a journey. One example is the route from Stratford-upon-Avon to Long Compton in Warwickshire, where six mileposts were restored and reinstated in 2017. Why not take a look while staying at YHA Stratford-upon-Avon?
Not all waymarkers are historic, of course. Keen cyclists will have encountered the series of millennium mileposts commissioned in 2001 by Sustrans along the National Cycle Network. To four individual designs, these colourful distance markers have become distinctive modern features of our countryside and townscapes, and will be a legacy for our heritage in the years ahead.
Milestones are not just about the destination. They enrich the journey. Please join us on that journey or explore some of our heritage walks.
Written by Bruce Keith, Vice Chair of The Milestone Society
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Photo credit: Anne Coatesy / Adobe Stock
