MEM25554 - Milestone near Round Wood on the A369 (Monument)

The construction of the 14 miles or so of the A396 road from Timberscombe southwards to beyond the County boundary with Devon was authorized under the Turnpike Act of 1822 and completed by 1827. A total of twelve Ham stone milestones were erected on the western side of the road to a standard design with cast iron plates inscribed with incised lettering reading 6 miles to Minehead to 18 Miles to Minehead. A survey of roadside heritage on this section of the A396 was carried out in 1985 or 1986 and showed that ten milestones remained largely complete but with some damage to stonework and wear and tear. A new survey at the end of 2005 showed that four milestones had subsequently been removed or seriously damaged in the intervening years. The survey recorded this milestone as "milestone at SS93672704, 1985: damaged stump of stone only, plate missing. 2005: removed from site for safe keeping and if possible reinstatement. Plate returned December 2005. [1] A project in 2006- 2007 was set up by Somerset Historic Environment Service to repair the surviving milestones and replace the missing milestones. [2]