Milestone In Front Of The Halfway House

This is a stone milestone located on London Road (A40), just outside the Halfway House public house. It dates to 1744 and is a testament to the development of the national transport network during a significant period of road improvement in the 18th century. Turnpike trusts were established to maintain roads connecting London with major cities, and milestones became common in the mid-18th century as a consequence of the 1744 Turnpike Act. The milestone stands on the route from Oxford to London.

The milestone has a shallow curved top and is four-sided. The west facing side is inscribed "XXXV, London, 1744". The north-facing side reads "London 27, Uxbridge 12". The east facing side, inscribed in a slightly different style, reads “Oxford 27, Wycombe 2”, and may represent a later recarving.

The milestone is in good condition, with all inscriptions clearly legible, and has remained in its current location since at least 1876. It is better preserved than a milestone approximately a mile to the east at Loudwater. Other similar milestones along this route, including those at Stokenchurch and Chepping Wycombe, are also dated 1744.