Building record 1357200000 - Milestone on A413 at Shipton

Probable eighteenth to nineteenth century milestone, one of 14 on Buckingham to Aylesbury Road recorded by V.F. Bignell (Bletchley Archaeological and Historical Society) in January 1964. Mostly grey brown stone, flat faces, some edges chamfered and rounded tops painted white. Incised lettering painted black. 38 inches high on west side of road near Shipton. [Drawings, location and description] (B1).
Recorded on Milestones Society website as present in 2002 on Aylesbury to Buckingham route A413 National ID number BU_LC50. 25cm wide, 25cm deep, 90cm high. On south side of road, near to Jubilee Cottages in Sheep Street. Lettering badly erroded and overpainted. Inscription: left face: BUCKINGHAM 7; right face: LONDON 50 AYLESBURY 10. [Photograph, description and location] (B2).
Shown on OS surveyor's draft drawing (surveyed 1814) and OS 1'' map (1835). Inscription: London 50. On Winslow (C6) route. Shown on Jefferies, Bryant and OS 1" 1835. No mention of milestones in Turnpike Trust minutes until 1808. 1741 Geo.II c. 15 Cont. Act - required milestones to be erected. Turnpike Trust minutes in 1808 record that Mr. Herring was to be paid when 'stones properly and rightly spelt, are placed'. In 1810 under requirements of 50 Geo.III - road to be measured, milestones and posts to be erected. In 1822 the Trust's surveyor was instructed to give directions for cast iron mileposts on the road from Buckngham to Wendover, and guide posts where necessary. But in October 1822 the minutes record that the surveyor was instructed to give directions for milestones on 'said road' to be fresh painted and letters fresh cut where necessary; guide posts to be all new painted and new posts where necessary. In 1823 John King was instructed to measure the turnpike road and prepare a map or plan for use of the Trustees [see T3/51- P.R.O.]. In 1828 the measure of the road from Wendover to Buckingham was recorded as 21 miles, 2 furlongs and 121 yards. 1829 the minutes record that 'proper hand posts' were to be put up, in Aylesbury and elsewhere with distances marked thereon. In 1831 £8:8:0 was to be paid to a stonemason for 'new facing and engraving milestones' (Treas.A/cs - Wendover to Oakham). In 1832 the Trustees were asking Mr. King for variations in the distance on Wendover/Buckingham road by shortening at Padbury Bridge and at the Swanbourne turning [W.and B. /Dup.Wis]. In January 1834 the clerk was to 'write to the clerk of the Oak Lane Trust stating that various improvements by shortening the road have been made and the Trustees, presuming that similar improvements have been made on the Oak Lane Turnpike, wish to be informed whether the milestones on the Oak Lane Trust have been placed accurately from the last mile-stone on the Oxford Road'. In July 1834 the surveyor was to 'measure distance from 18th milestone on Oxford road...to ascertain where respective milestones to Buckingham ought to stand'. On 2nd March 1835 the distance from Wendover to Buckingham was recorded as 22 miles [Dup.Wis]. On 24th March the minutes record '….that the present milestones in this Trust be taken up, and new faced and lettered and painted, and direct they measure the turnpike road from the 18th milestone on the Uxbridge Road from London'. On 1st June 1848 the length of the road was 21 miles, 2 furlongs and 110 yards [Dup.Wis]. In 1858 the milestones were to be painted. In March 1868 March the surveyor was instructed to report on the state of the milestones and the 'cost of putting them in good order'. In October 1868 the Trustees were examining tenders for repairing and re-writing the milestones - Mr. Hodgkins's quote of at 3/- a stone was acepted. In 1871 handposts were to be painted and repaired 'throughout'. (B3).
Milestone is on the Wendover and Buckingham Turnpike Trust road established in 1721. This was part a major route from London to the West Midlands, with 21 miles all in Bucks following the route adopted by the Trust from the Aylesbury Road junction with Wharf Road in Wendover to just north of Bridge Road in Buckingham, now the A413. The Trust milestones were never upgraded and remained as square stones with pyramidal tops placed at an angle facing the road, with inscriptions on the faces to the road. Of 21 original milestones there are now 15 left, 10 on the east side of the road, and 5 of the west side. The Wendover and Buckingham Turnpike Trust was unusual in never replacing its stones throughout its existence. This milestone is one of 116 surviving from a possible 230 milemarkers in the county recorded in historical sources (B4).