Milestone

This milestone is located on the west side of Hawk's Hill in Fetcham, just before it becomes the Guildford Road. The stone has a square base and stands approximately 1 meter high. The top of the stone slopes down towards the front corner and features a bell shape carved into it, with the word 'FETCHAM' carved underneath. Below the top, the front corner is cut away to form a curved band inscribed with 'LONDON'. The stone is further shaped into a triangle at the front corner, which is inscribed with the number 19. The left face of the lower part has the inscription 'LEATHERHEAD 2', while the right side reads 'GUILDFORD 11'.

The design of this milestone is fairly standard and resembles the metal varieties that became more common after the Industrial Revolution, particularly the sloping triangular section at the front. Milestones became a common feature on England's roads with the introduction of Turnpikes towards the end of the 17th century, increasing in number throughout the 18th century. Although this stone's design is similar to those made of cast metal after the Industrial Revolution, its construction from Portland stone suggests it may be slightly older. It predates the 1860 Ordnance Survey map, on which it is marked, and is likely of late Georgian origin, being part of a series of milestones.

Milestones are significant as they are one of the few physical remnants of the national historic road network, enriching our street scenes. This particular stone, made of Portland stone and dating from the late Georgian period, is an increasingly rare survival and is therefore listed at Grade II.