| Where | Great Broughton Village Hall | Type of Event | Talk |
| When | 16th June 2025 at 7.30pm | Tutor | Hilary Jones |
The lecture was delivered by Hilary Jones, who is Vice-Chair of the Milestone Society. Hilary was an informative and entertaining speaker. We had a good sized audience, given the fine weather and time of year. Hilary’s presentation was lively and well organised. This was a well-researched and mastered subject.
The history of milestones began with the Roman occupation. Although there was a main milestone in the Roman Forum, and we are told “all roads lead to Rome”, the road system in Britain included milestones, not surprisingly made of stone, along the network. Some are extant, and we know 117 of them. The mile was the measurement established by the Romans and applied throughout the Empire. But the milestones, and also the guidestones, which were maintained by the monastic estates, became the main provision. North Yorkshire is rich in them.
But the next change came with the dissolution of the monasteries and the first Highways Act in 1555. Parishes became responsible for the maintenance of highways. Following that there was the establishment of the Post Office in 1660. The mail was carried by stagecoach and charges related to distance. The building and maintenance of turnpike roads from 1767 was the next step. The turnpikes were required to install milestones.
Although the mile originated with the Romans it was variable. It was not until 1593 that the mile had a specified length in England, and that was in London only. In 1824 it was adopted everywhere.
Over time, milestones came to be manufactured from cast iron. Mostly those in the north. Even so, there were different designs in different parts of the country. They are still to be found.
The Milestone Society came into being in 2001 because councils were no long required to maintain milestones. It is a charity and it has an extensive database on milestones and other highway furniture, such as AA signs, boundary marks, toll houses and finger posts. Maintenance such as cleaning and painting is performed by volunteers.
The material was absorbing and the audience was attentive. The time passed easily and the audience was informed and entertained. There were questions. An enjoyable evening.