MILEPOST AT ROYAL OAK INN (NGR SK2433524765)

The milepost at the Royal Oak Inn, cast around 1828, is made of painted cast iron and has a triangular shape with an inclined head and a segmental-arched, raised back plate. It is painted white, featuring raised lettering and details in brick red. The base of the milepost displays the names 'THORNEWILL' on the left and 'BURTON' on the right. The inscriptions indicate distances: 'TUTBURY 3 1/2 MILE' on the left, 'BURTON 1 MILE' on the right, and 'HORNINGLOW PARISH' at the top. The top flange reads 'LONDON' radially, indicating a distance of 126 miles.

This milepost was erected by the Ashby de la Zouch to Tutbury Turnpike Trust and was cast in Burton upon Trent around 1828. It is designated as Grade II due to its well-preserved condition as an early 19th-century milepost in its original location, its group value with other listed mileposts along this route, and its significance as a reminder of the standardization of roads and the introduction of turnpikes that supported the transport needs of the increasingly industrial landscape of 18th-century Staffordshire.