Building record 1433700000 - Milepost on A404

Probable eighteenth to nineteenth century 'cast iron' metal milepost part of 'gout route' missing in Hazelmere on Amersham Road west of War Memorial. Not found in Chilterns Milestone Survey in 1995 or latest Milestones Society Survey updated in 2010. Not on current OS map but confirmed by handwritten notes on microfiched OSD Surveyors Drawings (1814) and one inch OSD Map (1835) Bucks County Museum number XLII sheet 42 now in Centre for Bucks Studies. Inscription: Amersham 5 High Wycombe 2 on Wycombe, Hazelmere, Amersham (F3/F4) route. On page 5 of notes. Recorded as not found on page F of same notes title Mile Stones [Hatfield] Chenies to Henley - "Gout Track" Number 2 on 1" OS (1835). [Handwritten notes consulted in HER] (B1).
According to Peter Gullands extensive study on The Toll Roads of Buckinghamshire 1706-1881 with their connections into neighbouring counties 2017.This was onThe Reading and Hatfield Turnpike Road road 13 p.175. Linking Reading and Hatfield ? the gout route. 50 miles long 22 1/2 in Bucks. Thought to be initiated by Lord Cecil of Hatfield for his visits to Bath with a detour to Cassiobury House Watford for a fellow sufferer. The origanal stones were probably put up by Lord Cecil. 5 of these earlier ones survive they are thin stones with domed tops and lower case lettere on 3 curved faces. 2 are gateposts in Flackwell Heath, 2 driveway ornaments in Terrirers one survives in Chiltern Open Air Museum from Little Chalfont. These stones were replaced round 1770 by more stones all 50. Then in the early nineteenth century these were replaced by cast iron posts triangular tops with raised lettering by Marlow and Sons of Readinng. There only 3 of these milemarkers left on this route in Bucks. According to PG from old sources there should be 230 milemarkers in Bucks there are modern records of 116. During WW2 some were removed fro security reason sometimes not returned or put in wrong place. PG wonders if the title gout route is not just fokelore as does not appear in old records. After trusts closed in 1880s or 1890s in Bucks missing milemarkers on some roads with standard metal poosts with white faces an black writing what the Milestones Society call Bucks Pressings the two white faces and black paint lettering.[Copy in HER ] (B2).