Milestone 5 Mile, Near 147 Farnamullan Road, Lisbellaw, BT94 5EA

This is one of a surviving collection of twelve milestones — from an original set of seventeen — that once marked every Irish mile along the mail coach road running from Enniskillen to the Fermanagh border and onwards through Cavan to Dublin. The series is considered one of the most complete of its kind in Northern Ireland, and represents one of the very few surviving physical remnants of the late 18th and early 19th century mail coach system: arguably the single most important communications network established across these islands before the coming of the railways.

The section of road on which the stones stand, between Enniskillen and Wattlebridge, was largely built between 1808 and 1822 specifically to provide a broad, flat surface suitable for mail coaches. The road remained in use by the mail coach service, with some re-routing, until 1859, when the railways made it redundant. The milestones themselves were erected between approximately 1810 and 1835.

The stones are carved from local limestone and are square in plan, standing just over one metre tall. Their design varies slightly from stone to stone, with the individual and uneven quality of each suggesting the work of local craftsmen rather than a standardised production process. Generally they taper gently to form an elongated prism, though this tapering is less pronounced in some examples. The front and rear faces are flush, while the sides are more distinctively profiled: they step outward at a low level to define a base, then overhang at the top with a roll that tapers upward to a crown profile, completing what appears to be a uniquely ornate terminus. This profiled top is thought to be unique among milestones of this type.

This particular stone marks five Irish miles from Enniskillen, situated along a stretch of the Gola Road that was newly constructed for the mail coach in the early 19th century. The inscription clearly displays three distances: five miles to Enniskillen, 20.5 miles to Cavan, and 75.5 miles to Dublin. The stone remains in its original location and retains its original form and lettering intact.

At some point between 1857 and 1906 — most likely during the 1906 Ordnance Survey of this part of Fermanagh — a surveyor's "crow's foot" cut benchmark was carved into the stone. This benchmark is recorded on the third edition Ordnance Survey map as being situated at a height of 167.7 feet above sea level. Rather than detracting from the stone's significance, this addition forms part of its history and contributes further to its interest.

The stone's significance is considerable both individually and as part of the group. It stands in its original position, is well preserved, and retains original lettering along with the later benchmark. Its group value is further enhanced by the presence along the same stretch of road of a contemporary coaching inn. Together, the surviving twelve milestones form a rare and largely intact record of early 19th century road infrastructure in County Fermanagh.