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Chepstow Milestone Plate Missing
Just after Christmas 2001, the cast-iron plate on one of the remaining "1 Mile to Chepstow" milestones went missing. The milestone is set into the racecourse wall about a 100 yards above the Racecourse roundabout (ST 52250 94756). There were signs that it had been levered-off. Vandalism or theft? It's not clear. Chepstow has lost a part of its heritage. The milestone had served its useful purpose probably since the end of the 18th century. If you know where it is, please contact The Milestone SocietyMore about Chepstow's milestones. And that they do go missing, check this.
 These relics of an era when Monmouthshire first had passable roads are now very neglected. The following is my attempt to locate any remaining ones in the area around Chepstow, Monmouthshire. Distances were measured from the Beaufort Arms Hotel in Chepstow. The 1886/1889/1891 Ordnance Survey maps gave the milestone locations using the letters MS and gave the distances from towns. Some milestones appear to have been moved subsequently as evidenced by their found location and/or their position as marked on the modern OS Explorer maps. Some milestones appear to have been lost, some have been defaced - probably when fear of invasion was as its height in 1940. It is possible that some still lie buried, if that was the chosen method of hiding the information from the potential invader. Certainly they are deteriorating and are increasingly under threat as the road verges vanish beneath the weight of traffic. Set out below are the results so far of a survey of the milestones around Chepstow. Where no photograph exists, I have yet to determine that the milestone is still in place. If anyone is minded to use the indicated location coordinates to check a milestone, please take care! The 1886 Ordnance Survey maps which can be accessed at http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ are a great help in locating where milestones were as are the modern Ordnance Survey Explorer 1:25000 maps. There is an excellent small book Called "Milestones" by Mervyn Benford which Shire Books publish at £4.99 ISBN 0-7478-0526-1. For further information on Chepstow's Turnpike Roads see "Turnpike Roads - The Chepstow and New Passgae Turnpike Districts" by Ivor Waters published 1985 ISBN 0906134315 An email would be appreciated if anyone can confirm the existence of a milestone. |
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