Milestone

This milestone, located on the southeast side of Birmingham Road in Blakedown, dates back to the 18th century with a 19th-century alteration. It is constructed from sandstone and features a later cast iron plate that has been added to its surface. The milestone is shaped like a rectangular slab with a tooled surface and a rounded top. Attached to one side is an early 19th-century rectangular cast iron plate with a raised rim and relief lettering that reads "TO BIRM 14 MILES." This milestone is believed to be one of only two remaining from this set, with the other located in Edgbaston, Birmingham. It remains near its original position on a grass verge, although it was moved when the road, now known as the A456, was straightened around 1930. The Birmingham to Blakedown turnpike road was established following a 1752 Act of Parliament aimed at repairing roads in the counties of Worcester, Stafford, Salop, and Warwick, with trustees appointed for the road from Blakedown to Birmingham in 1753. In 1807, the milestones were ordered to be repaired, which included the addition of cast iron plates indicating the distance to Birmingham.