Guidestone 275M South East Of Broads Cottages

The guidepost located 275 meters southeast of Broads Cottages in Helland is an early 18th-century roadside marker made of granite. It features a tall rectangular-section shaft, approximately 1.2 meters high, topped with a square capstone that has a slightly domed surface. The names of nearby locations—Bodmin, Liskeard, Camelford, and Wadebridge—are incised on the four faces of the capstone.

This guidepost dates back to 1697 when parliamentary acts allowed Justices in the Highways Sessions to instruct Surveyors of Highways to install direction stones or posts at crossroads. Such markers were likely erected to assist travelers on these routes. This guidepost is part of a series of similar roadside markers found in North Cornwall, specifically along the roads connecting Bodmin and Camelford.

The guidepost is designated for its significance as an early example of roadside markers that predate the more common street furniture of the mid-19th century and later. It serves as an important reminder of the historical significance of transport networks for the movement of goods and people.