Summary

A milestone, probably of early C18 date.

Description

A dressed granite milestone which stands on the east side of the road, set into a granite dry stone wall which is not of interest. It is rectangular in plan with a rounded top and is approximately 0.8m high. The front (west) face has a rectangular recessed panel which carries the number 4 in bas relief. The stone itself is painted white with the number picked out in black. A horizontal joint across the face of the stone suggests that it has been repaired.

History

In the period before the turnpike trusts were set up from the middle of the C18, the roads in Cornwall were poor and were indeed little more than bridleways capable of carrying carts and coaches occasionally. Despite this, a small number of these routes were marked by milestones, including the road between Morvah on the north coast and Madron to the north of Penzance. This road is depicted both on Thomas Martyn's map of 1748 and on Greenwood's county map of 1827. Although the route was not a turnpike, it was important for connecting the mines on the north coast to the harbour at Penzance, the stannary town for West Cornwall. The first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1880 shows four milestones along the course of the road; although only two remain in situ. The milestone approximately 150m to the south-east of Morvah Church marks the distance to Madron and probably dates from the early C18.

Reasons for Listing

The milestone to the south-east of Morvah Church is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Intactness: as an intact early-C18 milestone which remains in its original position;
* Historic Interest: as a pre-turnpike example that is situated on a important route between the mines on the north coast and Penzance harbour.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26675903

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6