Milepost, Alderbury
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Milepost, Alderbury by Maigheach-gheal as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Milepost, Alderbury
Image: © Maigheach-gheal Taken: 31 Jul 2010
The three sided cast-iron pillar dates from the early 19th century. It tells us that it is 3 miles to Sarum (Salisbury) and 19 miles to Southton (Southampton). Milestones/mileposts did not come into general use until the Turnpike Act of 1766 made them compulsory on turnpike roads, these roads were built by private enterprise under licence from the Government and maintained by tolls on those who used them. Before this Act milestones were put up occasionally, often as charitable acts and commemorations. Many Turnpike Act stones/posts still exist. They are usually 2-3 ft high, with the initial letter or abbreviation of the nearest market town show on two faces, and the distance from it. For a wider view Image
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Image Location
Latitude
51.044576
Longitude
-1.736485