Building record 1472100000 - Milepost on old A404

Probable eighteenth to nineteenth century century metal milepost just south of High Wycombe on old A404 Daws Hill Lane next to electricity substation. Not on current OS but on 'All Historic Layers' database as Milestone with bench mark. Confirmed by handwritten notes on OS 1" map (1835 ) were in Bucks County Museum now in Centre for Bucks Studies. Museum number47 sheet XLVII. Inscription: Marlow 4 : Wycombe 1. On High Wycombe to Marlow (F4) route. On page 6 of notes. Also page F of same notes under Mile Stones [ Hatfield ] Chenies to Henley - " Gout Track ". Number 1 on 1" OS (1835 ). Recorded as not found 1987. [Handwritten notes consulted in HER] (B1).
In Peter Gullands extensive study of The Toll Roads of Buckinghamshire 1706-1881 2017 with their connections into neighbouring counties this is on The Reading and Hatfield Turnpike Road 1767 p.175 road 13. Mostly A422 today. The original milestones were placed by Lord Cecil of Hatfield House as they predate the Trust 2 survive as gateposts in Flackwell Heath and 2 as driveway ornaments in Terriers and one from Little Chalfont is in Chilterns Open Air Museum. May be gout route according to PG shorter routes exist and this eiphet does not apear untill 19th C.These were replaced by 50 milestones with capital letters then with cast iron mileposts with triangular cross section early 19th century date. Distance to Hatfield on all of them on top 3 survive in Bucks. Sources suggest 230 possible milemarkers in Bucks in modern records 116 according to PG survive. In WW2 milestones were removed some never got back occasionally put back in wrong place. This trust was a complete road orbiting north and west London between Hatfield and Reading it has now broken up several different roads. PG feels that "gout track " is not a historic term he finds no record until 19th C. After the trusts closed in the 1880s and 1890s Highway Authorities district or county or parish gradually replaced some of milemarkers on some roads with metal posts that the Milestones Society calls Bucks Pressings. Standardised wih 2 white faces and black paint inscriptions. [Copy in HER ] (B2).