Milepost at NGR TQ6998558314

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EAST MALLING AND LARKFIELD Larkfield LONDON ROAD (north side) Milepost at NGR TQ6998558314

06-JUL-09

II Cast-iron milepost attached to earlier milestone. Probably early to mid C19.

DESCRIPTION: V-section, white painted, cast-iron milepost attached to similarly painted earlier milestone. On the head of the milepost, parallel to the road, the legend, in black-painted relief, reads 'To/LONDON/30/East Malling'. Below this on the right (east facing) angle the legend reads 'WROTHAM/6' and on the left (west facing) 'MAIDSTONE/4'.

HISTORY: from the late C17 to the mid C18 many turnpike trusts were established along roads connecting London with major provincial cities and ports. Milestones along them became prevalent in the mid C18 when turnpike trusts were encouraged to provide them, the 1744 Turnpike Act supposedly making the provision compulsory on most turnpike roads.

This cast-iron milepost at Larkfield on the road from London to Folkestone and Dover appears in its current position on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1862 and is probably therefore in its original location. This part of the road was turnpiked between 1750 and 1780 and there was a toll house at Larkfield, reportedly demolished in the 1960s. As it is attached to an earlier milestone the cast-iron milepost is probably from the early to mid C19 although it is hard to date exactly.

A nearly identical milepost (Grade II listed - 179382) survives two miles closer to London on this stretch of the road at Ryarsh and a damaged example reportedly survives to the east in Ditton.