Milestones

[Was92now625]

I remember that there used to be a stone every mile on the A82 across Rannoch Moor. I don't think they're there any more though.

[ellandback]

I don't know of any

Me neither

"Ealand" is an old name for Elland, but I'm not sure how long it has been since the town was so called. Suffice to say, this MS must be pretty ancient.

[ronhale]

By coincidence I passed one yesterday in the middle of Alfreton.

It told me that Nottingham was 16 miles.

It also told me that Alfreton was 0 miles!

[bob@romiley1]

It was quite common to post 0 miles when that particular milestone was the measuring point.

[Vierwielen]

... that had been defaced during the war:

I wonder how many more milestones were destroyed or defaced during the war for similar reasons? Was it a common practice?

I believe that large numbers of road signs, particularly near the coast, were removed as they might prove useful to the enemy.

[Ruperts Trooper]

I believe that large numbers of road signs, particularly near the coast, were removed as they might prove useful to the enemy.

And many of them were put back in the wrong place after WW2 which explains various anomalies in distance figures.

[rileyrob]

I remember that there used to be a stone every mile on the A82 across Rannoch Moor. I don't think they're there any more though.

No, they're all still there (give or take one or two that have sunk).
See Milestones and the Gallery:Milestones for more.
There are in fact a lot up here. As well as the A82, they are found along the A87, A861, A884, B849, A830, A83 and many many more roads. Some date right back to the construction of new roads in the 1880s-1900s, most relate to the mass improvement schemes from the late 1920s up to 1939.

Down south, the A38 and A370 in northern Somerset have many, again from the widening and improvements done in the late 1920s.

The OS still mark milestones on Landrangers and Explorers and it is quite amazing how many survive, often lost in the undergrowth along the verges. See the A82 on Rannoch Moor on Sabre Maps

[Matthew]

This one was noted on the Sandwell MBC Facebook page today as a quiz... Sandwell Facebook

As stated, it's situated at Christ Church, Birmingham Street, Oldbury.

[trigpoint]

A bit blured http://goo.gl/maps/yGvf

This one is on the former A49 route through Wem. Whitchurch 9 1/2, Shrewsbury 7.

[henhouse05]

There are a few by the A35 in Dorset, and I believe there is one at the beggining (M3 end) of the A303, although I have never seen it myself.

[SussexMan]

This is the site you need for milestones.

Apologies if it's already been posted but couldn't see it. There are also quite a few links to other websites on the "Links" page.

[Bfivethousand]

There seems to be quite a few in the Walsall / Aldridge / Streetly / Little Aston area, you'll find milestones spaced about a mile apart along the A454 for several miles

[crazyknightsfan]

Is there a modern equivalent to these in the UK? Not route confirmation signs but smaller signs every mile or 5 miles or whatever?

[FosseWay]

Is there a modern equivalent to these in the UK? Not route confirmation signs but smaller signs every mile or 5 miles or whatever?

Motorways and many HQDCs have driver location signs. These are more frequent than milestones (every 500 metres IIRC?) but crucially they only tell you where you are (if you have a corresponding map or GPS with the DLS marked on it), not the distance to somewhere else. DLSs mark distance from a point zero like milestones but that point is fairly arbitrary from the traveller's POV, since (a) the zero mark tends to be at the start of a given road number, which probably doesn't coincide with the centre of a town or any other obvious starting point or goal, and (b) it refers to the route you're currently on, which for a long journey probably isn't the route you started on or will finish on.

So no, AFAIK there isn't an equivalent nowadays to counting down the miles to the nearest town in a formalised sequence.

[crazyknightsfan]

So no, AFAIK there isn't an equivalent nowadays to counting down the miles to the nearest town in a formalised sequence.

Perhaps because there's generally more junctions, presumably with route confirmation signs, they aren't as needed? Australia has these signs every 5km generally along classified roads. Very useful, not so much from a driver location perspective in a crash or breakdown, but for reassurance on a long drive. I thought they might have been borrowed from UK practice - I guess not.

[c2R]

Is there a modern equivalent to these in the UK? Not route confirmation signs but smaller signs every mile or 5 miles or whatever?

Motorways and many HQDCs have driver location signs. These are more frequent than milestones (every 500 metres IIRC?) but crucially they only tell you where you are (if you have a corresponding map or GPS with the DLS marked on it), not the distance to somewhere else. DLSs mark distance from a point zero like milestones but that point is fairly arbitrary from the traveller's POV, since (a) the zero mark tends to be at the start of a given road number, which probably doesn't coincide with the centre of a town or any other obvious starting point or goal, and (b) it refers to the route you're currently on, which for a long journey probably isn't the route you started on or will finish on.

So no, AFAIK there isn't an equivalent nowadays to counting down the miles to the nearest town in a formalised sequence.

These are probably the nearest thing - more common than DLS, providing similar information: http://goo.gl/maps/6xwB

[Mattemotorway]

I believe that large numbers of road signs, particularly near the coast, were removed as they might prove useful to the enemy.

And many of them were put back in the wrong place after WW2 which explains various anomalies in distance figures.

Indeed, I remember at school seeing a pic of that practise being used... In fact all the books used the same pic, of the sign at the A320/A317 junction...

[Helvellyn]

One still exists down the road from me, built into a modern wall to protect it, stating EGREMONT 4 MILES. Indeed Cumbria is good for retaining vintage signage as many of the unclassified roads still use the pre war iron black and white posts and most have the original enamelled signs. Maybed it's a tourism thing.

Greystoke lost its original enamelled with standing out letters (embossed, cast, stuck on?) last year. Although the replacement was in the same style it's lost "A594" painted out but still visible due to standing out (still visible on Streetview).

[Glenn A]

One still exists down the road from me, built into a modern wall to protect it, stating EGREMONT 4 MILES. Indeed Cumbria is good for retaining vintage signage as many of the unclassified roads still use the pre war iron black and white posts and most have the original enamelled signs. Maybed it's a tourism thing.

Greystoke lost its original enamelled with standing out letters (embossed, cast, stuck on?) last year. Although the replacement was in the same style it's lost "A594" painted out but still visible due to standing out (still visible on Streetview).

Are there still a few milestones on the A591?

[DunsBus]

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.