Summary

A late-C18 or early-C19 milestone in the Calver twin-panel design.

Description

A late-C18 or early-C19 milestone in the Calver twin-panel design.

MATERIALS AND PLAN: the milestone is composed of an upright flag stone.

DESCRIPTION: the milestone is situated on the south side of the B6054, on a grass verge. The stone is rectangular with rounded shoulders and is set vertically into the ground. The mileages are carved into the stone within two semi-circular panels which read: GLEADLESS/ 9/ MILES and CALVER/ 5/ MILES. The name of the destination follows the curve of each arch.

History

Milestones became prevalent from the mid-C18 when turnpike trusts, which levied tolls from travellers to finance road improvements, were encouraged to provide such markers on turnpike roads. The Gleadless to Calver Road was originally managed by the Greenhill Moor Turnpike Trust, established in 1781, and by the Owler Bar Turnpike Trust from 1825.

The milestone halfway between Saltersitch Bridge and Barbrook Bridge is one of a series of milestones erected along this route in a design referred to as the Calver twin panel, which gives the distances to Gleadless and Calver within two, side-by-side carved arches. The milestone shows the distance to Gleadless 9 miles and Calver 5 miles. Several of the stones in this series survive, including two Grade II listed examples on Dronfield Road (National Heritage List for England (NHLE) entries 1109631 and 1109632).

Reasons for Listing

The milestone approximately 141m west of Gas Distribution Station, B6054, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* the distinctive ‘Calver twin panel’ design, while simply executed, survives well and is specific to its locality, illustrating the regional variation of milestones between turnpike trusts.

Historic interest:

* as an example of a late-C18 or early-C19 milestone, demonstrating the expansion and standardisation of the road network around the time of the General Turnpike Act of 1773, when the recording of mileage was made compulsory.

Group value:

* with other milestones in this series.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)