Summary
Milestone, of probable later C18 date, associated with the Kidlington & Deddington Turnpike Trust.
Reasons for Designation
The milestone on Banbury Road, Kidlington, of probable later C18 date, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Intactness: it survives intact in its original position with a mostly legible inscription;
* Historical interest: it testifies to the development of the road transport network through the turnpike system;
* Group value: forms an extended group with the other surviving milestone along this turnpike route (National Heritage List for England number 1369696).
History
The Kidlington & Deddington Turnpike Trust was established in 1755 by Act of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the Oxford to Banbury route. In addition to installing stone milestones along the route, the Trust erected a tollhouse south of Deddington and a toll gate, known as Old Man's Gate, at Water Eaton. These were rebuilt in stone in the early C19 and are both listed at grade II. The Trust was dissolved in 1875. The present milestone is marked in its present position on the first edition Ordnance Survey of 1876 and subsequent editions.
Details
This milestone, of probable later C18 date, is situated between 118 and 120 Banbury Road, Kidlington. It is located on the east side of the road at the entrance to a public footpath. The milestone is approximately 0.6m high, of worked stone with a rounded top, and bears the inscription ‘OXFORD / [5] / BANBURY / 17’. The Oxford mileage is now illegible but the first edition Ordnance Survey map confirms that it originally read ‘5’.
End of official list entry
