This milestone cache is one in what will be a series of sixty hides placed to mark my milestone birthday which Covid 19 so rudely interrupted in 2020. I want to share their history and celebrate these wonderful monuments which sit quietly in our landscape.
Watch out for more caches popping up before my next milestone birthday!
About this milestone
This is a fourth generation milestone located on the B4204 at Sapey Common, a few miles west of Clifton upon Teme on what was the Stanford and Ham Bridge Turnpike. I always smile seeing this milestone so well maintained, the island of hedging behind kept in pristine condition too. Upon investigating I discovered the two properties opposite take their names from this roadside monument, 'North and South Milestone Cottages'.
Harold Brooke-Bradley was an innovative road engineer and Deputy Surveyor of Worcestershire. In the 1930's his department produced a new design of milestone to replace many of the lost or damaged original milestones. It was designed for the Automobile Age with a bold legend making it easier to read at speed!
A concrete and stone aggregate T shape, encased reinforcing steel rods. They were cast at Dawley in Shropshire. Over 100 were erected displacing old stones and replacing lost ones. All were removed during WWII then mostly reinstated afterwards. Only about 50 of these remain. The design is unique to Worcestershire and became known as 'Bradley Stones’.
For a brief and very interesting history about milestones, please visit the link below:
https://www.milestonesociety.co.uk/about-milestones/
Please be stealthy. You are looking for a camouflaged bag.
Take care of prickles and be considerate to those living opposite.
Thank you
Milestone Birthday Series Bookmark List link:
https://coord.info/BMD17XP