Milepost

This is a milepost dating from around 1770, made of coursed squared limestone and featuring a square plan. The exterior includes a double stepped plinth course and an overhanging moulded cornice at the top. A ball finial on a baluster plinth was replaced in 1982. The north and west faces have inscriptions with shallow sunk pointing hands. The north face reads: "To London 64 miles through Huntingdon Royston & Ware; To Huntingdon 15 miles; To London 72 miles through Cambridge; To Cambridge 21 miles; To Stilton 7 miles." The west face states: "To London 68 miles through Buckden Biggleswade & Hatfield; To Buckden 7 miles; To Stilton 7 miles." Surrounding the milepost are low wrought-iron railings with circular section verticals and spear-head finials, which pass through a plain-section top rail. Originally located at the junction of the Great North Road (A1) and Ermine Street, the milepost was moved to the central reservation in 1955 when the dual carriageway was built, and it now stands on the west side of the old south-bound carriageway, which was widened to the west in 1998.