Milestone, Outside 183 Kilkeel Rd, Annalong, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4TW

This is a dressed granite milestone situated on the west side of the Kilkeel Road, near Annalong, County Down. It is a rare survivor, one of only 17 milestones remaining out of an original 24 that marked the route between Newry and Newcastle. The milestone dates from roughly 1780 to 1799, suggested by the use of Irish miles in its inscription, and was first shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1919. The milestone is a roughly square post, measuring 25 centimetres by 25 centimetres and 50 centimetres high, topped with a small pyramid. The three faces that are visible to the road display the number ‘18’ in 15-centimetre lettering, indicating a distance of 18 Irish miles from Newry. Its survival is of industrial archaeological interest.