Listed Building record MDR11661 - Milestone at Junction of Rod Moor Road and Barnes Lane, Dronfield

Milestone at junction of Rod Moor Road and Barnes Lane, Dronfield, a late 18th or early 19th century structure. 'Milestone on the east side of the Gleadless to Calver road originally run by the Greenhill Moor Turnpike Trust (the Owler Bar Trust from 1825). A photograph of the stone shows it to have two painted arches side by side, one showing 'GLEADLESS 3 MILES' the other 'CALVER 9 MILES'. The distance to Gleadless should be 5 miles.' (1) From the National Heritage List for England: 'Summary A late-C18 or early-C19 milestone in the Calver twin-panel design. Reasons for Designation The milestone approximately 25m south of the junction of Rod Moor Road and Barnes Lane in Dronfield is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: Architectural interest: * the distinctive ‘Calver twin panel’ design, while simply executed, survives well and is specific to its locality, illustrating the regional variation of milestones between turnpike trusts. Historic interest: * as an example of a late-C18 or early-C19 milestone, demonstrating the expansion and standardisation of the road network around the time of the General Turnpike Act of 1773, when the recording of mileage was made compulsory. Group value: * with other milestones in this series. History Milestones became prevalent from the mid-C18 when turnpike trusts, which levied tolls from travellers to finance road improvements, were encouraged to provide such markers on turnpike roads. The Gleadless to Calver road was originally managed by the Greenhill Moor Turnpike Trust, established in 1781, and by the Owler Bar Turnpike Trust from 1825. The milestone on Rod Moor Road is one of a series of milestones erected along this route in a design referred to as the Calver twin panel, which gives the distances to Gleadless and Calver within two, side-by-side painted arches. Several of the stones in this series survive, including two Grade II listed examples on Dronfield Road (National Heritage List for England entries 1109631 and 1109632). The Rod Moor Road milestone previously showed the distance to Gleadless as 3 miles. In 2021 the milestone was overpainted to correct the distance to 5 miles. Details A late-C18 or early-C19 milestone in the Calver twin-panel design. MATERIALS: the milestone is composed of an upright flag stone with painted lettering, possibly applied over a carved inscription. DESCRIPTION: the milestone is situated on the east side of Rod Moor Road, on a grass verge. The stone is rectangular with rounded shoulders and is set vertically into the ground. The mileages are painted onto the stone within two semi-circular panels which read: GLEADLESS/5/MILES; CALVER/ 9/MILES. The name of the destination follows the curve of each arch.' (2)