Milestone In Road Verge Opposite Number 179

This milestone, located in the road verge opposite number 179 on Chelmsford Road in Shenfield, dates from the 18th century and is made of limestone. It has a square shape and is angled towards the road, with the southeast edge chamfered at the top to create an inclined surface that is inscribed with "London XX." The north face bears the inscription "XX miles from London," which now faces away from the road. The west face features an Ordnance Survey benchmark. The milestone has a crack approximately 0.35 meters from the top that has been cemented. It measures 0.28 meters square and stands 0.73 meters above the ground. The road between Shenfield and Ingatestone was one of the first in Essex to be turnpiked under an Act of 1695. Cast-iron cover plates were introduced in 1819 to minimize the costs of re-cutting inscriptions, indicating that this milestone is significantly older, having been inscribed, turned, and inscribed again prior to 1819.