Milestone on Reigate Hill at intersection of M25 with A217 (Junction 8), Reigate Hill, Surrey

Summary

Milestone, thought to date from about 1755, and moved to its present position in 1823.

Description

Milestone, believed to date from about 1755, and erected in its current position in 1823.

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: the milestone is square on plan, with a low pyramidal top. On what is now the south-west face is inscribed in Roman letters, thought to have been carved in 1755: ‘LONDON / 19 / SUTTON / 8’. On what is now the south-east face is inscribed in san serif lettering, thought to have been carved in 1823: ‘BRIGHTON / 32 5/8 / REIGATE 15/8’. The lettering on this face is very worn.

History

Turnpike roads, which levied tolls from travellers to finance road improvements, were established in the 1660s, but the main period of growth took place in the next century. Turnpike trusts were authorised by Acts of Parliament to build, maintain and operate the toll roads, with the erection of milestones being the trusts’ responsibility. The first turnpike trust to be set up in Surrey, in 1697, oversaw the road between Reigate and Crawley; and gradually the London to Brighton Road became completely turnpiked; the Reigate Turnpike Trust, covering the stretch between Sutton and Reigate, was established in 1755, following which the present road up Reigate Hill towards Sutton was constructed. It is thought that this milestone was made in about 1755, and was originally positioned in the vicinity of what is now Buckland Road, where Roque's Surrey map of 1768 shows a milestone 19 miles from London. Lindley and Crossley's Surrey map of 1793 shows a 19-mile milestone about 3/4 of a mile further south, in the vicinity of what is now Blackhorse Lane, and it is thought this reflects the moving of the milestone. In 1823 considerable improvements were made to the road leading northwards out of Reigate by William Constable (1783-1861), Superintendent of the Sutton and Reigate Turnpike Trust from 1816, and from 1818 to 1838. Constable oversaw the construction of the tunnel under Reigate Castle - the first road tunnel in Britain to be completed - which allowed direct access in and out of Reigate, and made a cutting through Reigate Hill below the position of the milestone, erecting a suspension bridge for foot traffic. From that date, the milestone stood in its current position, which was then on the south-west side of the road. It is thought that at that time the face of the milestone indicating distances to Brighton and Reigate was re-cut, the distances to those towns now being shortened. Another milestone in the same series is located a mile further south, on the west side of Reigate Hill.

In 1983-1985 major road reconfiguration was undertaken for the creation of Junction 8 of the M25, with the creation of a large roundabout to the north-west of the milestone, and a slip road leading from that to Reigate Hill (now the A217); the milestone now stands on the north-east side of that slip road. The inscriptions on the milestone, indicating the distances to London, Sutton, Brighton and Reigate, are on what are now the south-west and south-east faces. It appears that the milestone, which remains in its original position, has been turned through about 180 degrees, so that the face which was originally oriented towards the north-west, greeting travellers following the road south towards Reigate and Brighton, is now turned in the direction of Reigate, whilst the face which originally informed travellers following the road northwards towards Sutton and London, now faces south-west, toward the slip road.

Reasons for Listing

The milestone on Reigate Hill at the intersection of the M25 with the A217 (Junction 8), is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* The milestone is a reminder of the road overseen by the Reigate Turnpike Trust, covering a stretch of the London to Brighton Road, and is thought to date from about 1755, when the turnpike was established;
* the milestone appears to have been moved further south as road improvements shortened the distance between Reigate and London, and again as a result of improvements undertaken by the innovative surveyor William Constable, to a particularly challenging stretch of road;
* the milestone has been in its current position since 1823.

Architectural interest:

* The milestone is a good example of a simple stone milestone, with a pyramidal top;
* one side retains its legible Roman lettering, thought to date from about 1755, whilst the other inscribed side has sans serif lettering, thought to date from 1823, illustrating the movement of the stone, and its association with the road works of that date.

Group value:

* With a second listed milestone in the same series, located approximately a mile further south;
* with the listed Reigate Tunnel, constructed by Constable as part of his road improvements, and the earliest completed road tunnel in Britain, and with the suspension bridge which replaced Constable’s, listed for its own innovative qualities.

External Links

Historic England Listing

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