Milepost 17 Metres South Of Number 306

MOUNTNESSING

TQ69NW ROMAN ROAD 723-1/6/472 (North West side) Milepost 17 metres south of No.306

II

Milepost. C18 and early C19. Limestone with cast-iron cover plate. Triangular in plan, one vertical surface facing S embossed Chelmsford 8', one vertical surface facing E embossedBrentwood 3'. Chamfered back to a sloping surface above facing SE, embossed To London 21 Mount-neysing'. Cracked from side to side, repaired with 2 plates at the back and 4 bolts near each edge. HISTORICAL NOTE: the road from Shenfield to Ingatestone was one of the first turnpike roads in Essex, adopted by the Essex Trust in 1695. The erection of milestones was obligatory from the 1760s. This design of cover plate was initiated by James McAdam, and adopted by the Essex Trust in 1819 at the instigation of Lewis Majendie of Hedingham Castle to reduce the frequent cost of re-cutting the inscriptions in the stones, and for greater clarity (Booker, 1974). Shown in Chapman and Andre's map of 1777, and in Cary 1790. This milepost is illustrated in Edwards, 1978 with the cover plate separating from the stone behind, but already cracked and repaired. The stone is of the same shape and bears the inscriptionLondon XXI' in the upper surface, other inscriptions concealed. Booker states that mileages expressed in Roman numerals indicate that a milestone is C18. (Booker J: Essex and the Industrial Revolution: 1974-: 101-116; Cary J: Survey of the High Roads from London: 1790-: 47; Edwards AC: A History of Essex: 1978-: 86).

Listing NGR: TQ6274797476