Milestones

[Glenn A]

Still common on the Cumbrian side of the A69, where you still see them between Brampton and Greenhead and a useful reminder of how far you are from Newcastle or Carlisle. Any other roads have many of these left?

[Johnathan404]

This plaque is very easily missed, but says: "Fareham/72 miles from London/5 miles to Gosport Gates".

[c2R]

There's lots, but many are hidden by undergrowth so are somewhat difficult to spot at speed..
http://goo.gl/maps/lWjf

Others on old bypassed routes remain as no road improvements have taken place to remove them, or in towns as a 'feature'
http://goo.gl/maps/3pyZ
http://goo.gl/maps/jIm5
http://goo.gl/maps/ip0O

[Lockwood]

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=havant ... .7,,0,5.89

There's one round this way, ish. I think by the gas van.

I've passed one on the A259 between Havant and Chi, I think.
Can't remember where.

[Glenn A]

This plaque is very easily missed, but says: "Fareham/72 miles from London/5 miles to Gosport Gates".

Neat, the ones on the A69 are about the same height as a bull terrier and white with black writing.

[shimtoan]

this is a milestone. I believe it used to read the distances to Nottingham & Derby, although that's only my recollection of my grandparents' memories as the inscription has long gone

[FosseWay]

IIRC there are several surviving on the Snake Pass and in the area of the Cat and Fiddle, with several on old alignments that are now just footpaths, so it's easy to go and have a poke around, take photos etc.

[Halmyre]

This one in fife is pretty comprehensive:

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1868425


and here's a picture of one I took in Broadway that had been defaced during the war:

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2537737


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

[steveway]

There's this one on the A10
and my favourite on the A5 at Cricklewood Broadway - there are a number on the A5, as ever Google is your friend

[Burns]

This one in fife is pretty comprehensive:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1868425

Fife has actually retained a lot of it's milestones. Four out of the five roads leaving my village have them within the first mile of the journey, although they are just small ones. Highham Toll has been mentioned but other notable ones include this one which lies by the A916 at a junction that isn't even all that important.

There is also this one at Wormit, which lies along the former route of the A914 (now A92). A lot of the milestones around here send you towards Pettycur, near Kirkcaldy which is a bit of a nowhere place but back then, I believe this was where ferries took you across the Forth. It's interesting to see what used to be known as an important destination in comparison to what is considered one now.

[ronhale]

I don't know of any

[Bryn666]

There's one outside our depot.

Even better, though, when the A59 was dualled towards the M6 in 1963, its milestones were relocated so you can still see them on the new carriageway. A nice touch.

[shimtoan]

This one in fife is pretty comprehensive:

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1868425


and here's a picture of one I took in Broadway that had been defaced during the war:

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2537737


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

the majority of signs that gave any indication as to where you were at the time, or where you were in relation to other places, were removed or defaced.
on the railways, station names were removed and on-board announcements were stopped.
I believe it was to disorientate any landing enemy troops, although I could be wrong

[MiChaos]

Norfolk has some random, if not slightly unhelpful ones. The nearest town that's approximately 13 miles away is King's Lynn. Since this is Lynn Road, I'm guessing that's what's being referred to here!

[FosseWay]

Many direction signs were removed, at least in southern England, as a (possibly rather futile) attempt to disrupt invading troops had they landed in 1940. I presumed this applied to what we would term road signs, i.e. the standard pre-Worboys signs intended for motorists, and it has never occurred to me to ask whether this policy was ever extended to older and/or non-standard signs, including milestones.

It is also entirely possible that the policy petered out, even for then-current standard road signs, the further away from the south and east coast of England you got. After all, once the Germans had reached London, there would have been little point in annoying them in such a petty way further north while at the same time making it even more difficult for your own citizens to go about their business, as if an invasion and occupation weren't enough to cope with.

It's undoubtedly the case that many milestones survive, so they were either left in situ or replaced when the invasion threat had passed.

[vlad]

There are quite a few on the A53 between Newcastle and Leek, sometimes in quite unlikely places. Here's one, for example.

[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.

[A325Ham]

One here in the centre of Farnham. Signed Alton and Bagshot.
http://goo.gl/maps/JbeL
Even though this road went towards Guildford (former A31) it was signed as Bagshot via A325 and A30. I suppose it was the quicker route to London back then.

[A325Ham]

Marlow/Bisham:

Marly Le Roi in kilometres, France in miles
http://goo.gl/maps/Hr6X

To Maidenhead, Hatfield (what route would this take?), Reading, London.
http://goo.gl/maps/zKTf

[si404]

To Maidenhead, Hatfield (what route would this take?), Reading, London.
http://goo.gl/maps/zKTf

Hatfield - Reading Turnpike