Milestone South East Of Entrance To Wyards Farm

This is a milestone from the early 19th century located southeast of the entrance to Wyards Farm on Basingstoke Road in Alton. It is made of square Portland stone and features a domed top, with two cast iron plaques attached to its sides. The plaque facing northwest reads "Alton 1," while the one facing southwest reads "B'stoke 10."

This milestone marks the turnpike road established between Alton and Basingstoke, which received its first turnpiking authorization by an Act of Parliament in 1795, renewed in 1816. The act mandated the installation of milestones along the route, and this stone was likely erected shortly after the legislation was passed. The first edition of the Ordnance Survey map indicates that it remains in its original location.

Milestones are significant as they are among the few physical remnants of historic road use in the UK. The turnpike roads developed in the 18th and 19th centuries were crucial for British road transport, and the milestones that accompanied them serve as important reminders of this history. This milestone is well-preserved and marks the turnpike road between Alton and Basingstoke. It is part of a group with another surviving milestone, together representing a significant survival of the markers that would have originally indicated each mile between the two towns.