Photo take 2019 – Copyright D. Turner and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.
This V shaped cast iron milepost from the early 19th century was given a Grade II listing on 14th May 1986.
Perry gabled iron casting, erected by the Henley & Dorchester turnpike trust in the 19 century it was restored in 2014.
Inscription reads:-
: OXFORD / 10 / ABINGDON 8 : : LONDON / 48 : : HENLEY / 13 / WALLING / FORD / 2 / SHILLINGFORD :
Maker:-
: T & J PERRY / READING :
Located on the former London-Henley-Oxford turnpike and marking 48 miles from London it is situated close to the turning into Meadside, Dorchester.
Constructed largely from cast iron on a concrete support a small section on the left-hand side has been repaired with cement.
The road between Oxford and Henley on which the milepost is located formed part of the important route between London and the West country and is probably Roman or earlier in origin. In 1736 the responsibility of the road was taken over by the Henley and Dorchester Turnpike Trust which was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 9 George II Chap 14).
The milepost is numbered 48 as a reference to its distance in miles from London and first appears on the T Jefferys map surveyed in 1766-1767, then later the J Andrews and A Drury map of 1791, and that by J Cary of 1793-1794; all of which indicate its original position being slightly further south, near to the junction with Wharf Road in Shillingford. Later mapping of 1823 by A Bryant, and Ordnance Survey mapping of 1830 show the milepost slightly further north than on the earlier maps, but it is not until Ordnance Survey mapping of 1878 that it is marked in its surveyed location at the time of listing in 1986. Soon after listing, it is understood that the milepost was lost, later found in a ditch nearby and then put into storage. Restoration and repairs were undertaken in 2014, and the milepost installed to its current location, which is just outside the Warborough Parish Boundary.
Identifying the original position along with the new.
Other milestones on the former Henley and Dorchester turnpike are limestone, such as those numbered 47 and 49 nearby (both Grade II) and are understood to date from the C18. The milepost is a later C19 replacement, manufactured in cast iron by T and J Perry who operated out of the Katesgrove iron foundry in Reading between 1818 and 1820.
In early 2025, Historic England contacted the Milestone Society regarding the repair and repositioning of the Milestone. Supplied with all the correspondence they have concluded that the Milestone will continue to be listed and have update their website accordingly.
Reasons for Listing
The milepost on the junction of Henley Road and Oxford Road, A4074, between Shillingford and Dorchester, erected in around 1820 and restored in 2014, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
As an example of a cast-iron milepost of the early-C19.
Historic interest:
As testament to the wave of road improvement and the introduction of turnpikes which facilitated the transport needs of this part of Oxfordshire in the C18 and C19.
Group value:
It is one of a series of mileposts and milestones erected by this turnpike trust along the route, including those numbered 47 and 49 nearby (both Grade II Listed, National Heritage List for England (NHLE) entries 1047863 and 1180994).
Source – British Listed Buildings
When the Local History Group approached the person responsible for the repair and repositioning of the Milestone regarding the inaccuracies in the mileage and commenting on its removal from the Parish he replied:
‘In which parish it is located does not in fact ‘make a nonsense’ of the legend. When turnpike trusts erected milestones, they were only concerned with the distance apart not which parish or even county they were in. Some local masons/iron master did choose to add the parish or nearest hamlet, but not in this case. Parishes were never given any responsibility for maintaining the mile markers though it is excellent that increasing numbers are now doing so de facto . The ’nonsense’ relates to the accuracy of the distances which are now out by about 500 metres, undesirable but in this instance pretty much unavoidable.
There are currently around 5060 listed milestones and mileposts in the U.K
Many important routes in England were created or enhanced in the C18 or C19 to facilitate longer-distance overland travel. New and improved roads required new infrastructure including markers to inform travellers of directions and distances. Most milestones and mileposts were created and maintained by turnpike trusts; bodies established by Acts of Parliament that collected tolls from road users. From the 1740s, the trusts were encouraged to provide mile markers along their routes, and under the 1766 General Turnpike Act milestones became compulsory on all turnpike roads.