Lyneham
Roads - Milestones and Guideposts
As we travel the highways and byways
in the 21st century it all too easy to forget that roads
as we know them are a comparatively recent happening.
Even within living memory main and roads which now are
part of the Lyneham and Wiltshire countryside, were
very often little more than unsurfaced cart tracks.
In the early 1900’s even some fairly major roads
in Wiltshire were still rutted and subject to weather
conditions - dusty in summer and full of puddles in
winter. If this was the state of roads in the early
part of the 20th century it is not too hard to imagine
conditions in the preceding centuries.
The average driver in this age of speed rarely has
time to study hidden treasures on verges and in the
hedgerows along the way. Many people pass by milestones
without ever knowing their presence. Although many are
kept in good condition by a small-dedicated band of
enthusiasts or by local authorities, it is a sad fact
that many more have suffered from negligence.
Even in these enlightened times of preserving our heritage,
artifacts still suffer in the name of progress. A milestone
can easily be lost forever under the tracks of a bulldozer
making "improvements" to the highway infrastructure.
Guideposts (also known as fingerposts, direction posts
or more commonly, signposts) are another feature alongside
our roads that only receive a casual glance except when
a driver is lost. In the early 1960s many have disappeared
forever and replaced with either wooden examples with
stick-on letters or the "standard" highways
type. Another case of "progress" destroying
heritage.
Milestones in Lyneham
- Post office (pictured top)
Located in the village on the Chippenham Road opposite
the Post Office a listed II Milestone, made in the 18th
Century from sandstone. It has an oval stem with hexagonal
face at top, inscribed (on face) Bath 23 miles. (on
stem) 'To Wootton Bassett 4 miles' and 'To Swindon 10
miles' on the right hand stem and on the opposite side
of the stem 'To Chippenham 10 miles'
Calne Road
(pictured middle left)
Located in the village on Calne Road on the south side
this milestone opposite No 23 Calne Road is again a
listed II Milestone, made in the early 18th Century.
Sarsen, peck dressed at rear. Round head. The inscription,
although fairly eroded 'To Swindon 10 miles' on the
northern side, left as you face it. On the opposite
side 'To Calne 5 miles'
Wootton Bassett Road
(pictured bottom left)
Located to the north of the village on the A3102 Wootton
Bassett Road approximately halfway between Bowd's Lane
and Trow Lane on the left hand side of the carriageway.
The milestone at NGR SU 030803 is a Listed II Milestone
Sarsen of similar shape and design hexagonal faced head,
half oval sectioned stem, rectangular base. Peck dressed
at back. The inscriptions: On head, 'To Bath 25 Miles'.
On stem , 'To Wootton Bassett 3 Miles'. 'To Swindon
9 Miles'. On stem right side: 'To Chippenham 11 Miles'.
On base: To Oxford 39 Miles'.
On the A3102 between junction 16 of the M4 and Hilmarton
there are an additional six documented milestones:
1. Swindon Road near Spittleborough Farm entrance
2. Swindon Road between Churchill Pub and Coped Hall
3. Hunts Mill Road about 100 metres from Skew Bridge
4. A3102 adjacent to the Black Dog Cottages junction
5. A3102 Goatacre near the New Zealand road turning
6. A3102 Halfway between the bottom of Snow Hill to
Hilmarton adjacent to Hilmarton Bridge |
