Milestones

The study of British and Irish roads - their construction, numbering, history, mapping, past and future official roads proposals and general roads musings.

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Glenn A
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Re: Milestones

Post by Glenn A »

DunsBus wrote:There are several milestones still in existence on the Berwick-Duns section of the A6105, including this one which is notable as it spells Duns as Dunse.

This was actually the old spelling of Duns until the early 20th century, and it's from the place name Duns that the word "dunce" is derived, along with the term "dunce's cap". For this we have to thank the ancient Scottish philosopher John Duns Scotus, who was born in Duns and took his middle name from his birthplace. His followers were called "duns" or "dunsmen"; through time, as his teachings were superseded, anyone who still believed in them was said to be foolish and the term dunce, meaning stupid, then came into being.
You learn something new every day. You also have that amusingly named lake Hen Poo near Duns as well.
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FurryBoots
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Re: Milestones

Post by FurryBoots »

I spotted this one not so long ago. I'm not sure whether it is really that old.
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DunsBus
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Location: Duns, Berwickshire

Re: Milestones

Post by DunsBus »

Glenn A wrote:
DunsBus wrote:There are several milestones still in existence on the Berwick-Duns section of the A6105, including this one which is notable as it spells Duns as Dunse.

This was actually the old spelling of Duns until the early 20th century, and it's from the place name Duns that the word "dunce" is derived, along with the term "dunce's cap". For this we have to thank the ancient Scottish philosopher John Duns Scotus, who was born in Duns and took his middle name from his birthplace. His followers were called "duns" or "dunsmen"; through time, as his teachings were superseded, anyone who still believed in them was said to be foolish and the term dunce, meaning stupid, then came into being.
You learn something new every day. You also have that amusingly named lake Hen Poo near Duns as well.
The Hen Poo' is literally just along the road from my house. Despite what it may sound like, it has nothing to do with either hens or manure. :lol: It's actually an artificial lake which was created in the 18th century and although there are no hens in the Hen Poo', it is home to swans and various species of ducks, forming part of a nature reserve.

Although I've lived in Duns for all but five years of my life, I wasn't aware of the connection between Duns and the term 'dunce' until I came across it in a book in the early 1990s.

It would be a good one to use in a pub quiz: "The term dunce takes its name from which Scottish town?" I wonder how many folk would know the answer.
"We don't serve black coffee. We serve white coffee without milk."
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Glen
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Re: Milestones

Post by Glen »

There are a few flat, painted milestones on the B9009 and B9136, like this:
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Last edited by Glen on Tue Jul 03, 2012 20:14, edited 1 time in total.
From the SABRE Wiki: B9009 :

The B9009 is a medium-length B-road in south Banffshire.

The route starts in the centre of Dufftown, at a TOTSO with the A941 next to the Tollbooth and heads west along Conval Street. As with all of Dufftown's main streets, Conval Street is wide and lined with a selection of solid, if rather plain old stone houses. The route climbs as it heads west out of the small distillery town, losing the

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