MSO10254 - Milestone at West Wood (Monument)

Milestone. Early C19. Sandstone and cast iron. Slightly cambered head of stone, attached plaque, central semicircular top, inscribed "8 miles to Minehead". The road was cut in the 1820s. [1] English Heritage Listed Building Number: 265314. First Listed on 05/06/1985. [2] 'Minehead 8' and 'MS' noted on 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map. [3,4] The milestone was not located during the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. [5] 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 surveys recorded that the stone was complete in 1986 but missing in 2005.[6] A project in 2006- 2007 was set up by Somerset Historic Environment Service to repair the surviving milestones and replace the missing milestones. [7]