Milestone Approx 253M South-West Of Carland Cross

This is a late 18th century milestone, altered in the late 19th century, located approximately 253 metres southwest of Carland Cross on the A30. The milestone is constructed of granite, painted white, and stands about 1 metre high. It has a square plan with a pyramidal head. The west, south, and east faces have shallow recessed panels, while the north face is undressed. The south face retains the original late 18th century inscription reading "R (for Redruth) / 12". The west face is inscribed "BODMIN / 17M", and the east face reads "PENZANCE / 30M", with the lettering picked out in black.

The milestone is linked to the establishment of the first Cornish turnpike in 1754 and the subsequent creation of new turnpike trusts over the following decade. It is unusual as it marks a section of road between Carland Cross and Marazanvose that was never actually adopted as a turnpike, and which originally featured milestones inscribed with L (for Lands End), R (for Redruth), and P (for Penzance) along with distance markers. In the late 19th century, following Cornwall County Council’s adoption of several roads that had not been turnpiked, seven of the more easterly milestones were re-carved, changing the inscriptions to include Bodmin and Penzance. This milestone, dating back to the late 18th century, was altered around 1889-90. An Ordnance Survey map from 1880 recorded the original distances inscribed as Redruth (12) and Lands End (40). The milestone is designated at Grade II for its group value, as it is one of a surviving group along the road, and for its historic interest, demonstrating the County Council’s actions in adopting non-turnpiked routes in the late 19th century.