Books about milestones

Several authors have written about milestones, directly or indirectly, here is a run-down of some of the books I have read about the subject. I've started with the ones that I have found most rewarding. Some are old and therefore no longer available, but many are available through Amazon.co.uk. Just click on the Amazon logo associated with a title and you can order your own copy right away! Note that jacket designs sometimes change with different editions - Amazon's copy will be the current picture

Marking the miles

auth Carol Haines, publ 2000 by Carol Haines, ISBN 0-9538885-0-9

Carol Haines' book describes the variety of milestones existing around the turn of the millennium, writing with evident fondness of her subject. Good on locations of individual milestones around England, with a focus on the Norfolk area where the author lives.

Marking the miles (Carol Haines website)

 

Milestones

auth Mervyn Benford, publ 2002 by Shire, ISBN 0747805261

Descriptive and lavishly illustrated with many colour pictures, though with only general position information finding milestones listed in Benford's book can be challenging

 

Guide Stoops of Derbyshire

auth Howard Smith, publ 2000 unknown, ISBN 0952154145

Guide stoops are early forerunners of milestones, placed by Parliamentary decree to guide travellers across remote and featureless parts of England. Howard Smith's book is a gazetteer of these old stones around Derbyshire.

 

Guide Stoops of the Dark Peak

auth Howard Smith, publ 2000 unknown, ISBN 0952154137

 

Turnpike Roads

auth Geoffrey N Wright, publ Shire, ISBN 0-7478-0155-X

This slim volume is a nice introduction to the subject of turnpikes and tollroads between about 1600 and 1850. This was the first period of road improvement since Roman times, and Geoffrey Wright's book is well illustrated with tollgates, inns, milestones and other paraphernalia of the turnpike industry which lasted until the advent of the railways in the mid-1800's

 

A Historical Atlas of Suffolk

ed David Dymond & Edward Martin, publ Suffolk Inst. of Archaeology, ISBN 0860552535

Collection of 86 monographs covering the history of Suffolk from prehistoric to modern times. This is an invaluable reference on the history and development of Suffolk. The division of subject matter is to manageable chunks means this is still an easy read. Well illustrated with line diagrams and some colour plates.

Thomas Telford

auth Rhoda M Pearce, publ Shire, ISBN 0852634102

Telford surveyed and designed many roads and canals in the early 19th century, among them the London-Holyhead road which improved connections to North Wales and Ireland. He designed the elegant series of milestones along the Welsh section from Shrewsbury to Holyhead

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