Milestone Approx 458M South-West Of Journey'S End

This is a late 18th century granite milestone, altered in the late 19th century, situated approximately 458 metres south-west of Journey's End on the A30 in St Erme. The milestone is approximately 0.70 metres high and square in plan, with a pyramidal head. It is painted white. The west, south, and east faces have shallow, recessed panels. The north face is undressed. The stone is inscribed in sans serif capitals on the west side, reading “BODMIN / 18M”, and on the east side, reading “PENZANCE / 29M”, with the lettering picked out in black. An Ordnance Survey benchmark is carved into the upper part of the south face.

The milestone is historically significant because it stands on a road that was never formally turnpiked, offering a rare example of markers erected outside the traditional turnpike system. Originally, milestones along this route displayed distances to Lands End, Redruth, and Penzance, but later, in the late 19th century, seven of the eastern milestones were re-carved with distances to Bodmin and Penzance, reflecting Cornwall County Council’s subsequent adoption of primary routes. A similar milestone on Newlyn Down, dated to the late 18th century, was altered around 1889-90. An Ordnance Survey map from 1880 indicates the original inscriptions were distances to Redruth (11 miles) and Lands End (39 miles). The milestone is designated at Grade II for its group value – remaining as one of a small group along the road – and for its historical interest, specifically the evidence it provides concerning the County Council’s adoption of non-turnpiked roads.