HISTORIC roadside milestones across Saddleworth are being given a new lease of life as volunteers and councillors work together to preserve a unique piece of the area’s heritage.
The project began after volunteers repainted an Austerlands milestone, prompting wider interest in protecting the cast-iron markers that once guided travellers along the parish’s turnpike roads.
Many date back to the late 19th century and were originally erected to mark distances across what was one of the country’s most extensive turnpike networks.
As the Saddleworth Independent reported in 2021, concern over the condition of these milestones led councillors Luke Lancaster and Max Woodvine to urge greater action to protect them, noting that Saddleworth has more milestones than anywhere else in the country due to its historic roads and calling for community efforts to preserve these important local assets.
Saddleworth’s collection of cast iron fronted milestones were originally included in a contract to erect more than 600 across the former West Riding of Yorkshire.
The County Council awarded the work to Gill and Frank Stead from Mirfield and paid them £1,140 work to complete the work in 12 months.
All Saddleworth milestones, with one exception, were cast at the foundry of Brayshaw and Booth in Liversedge.
The exception is on the Road End branch of the Oldham and Standedge Road at Greenfield, which bears no manufacturers mark and is of a different design to the others.
In 2007, Oldham Council carried out a Milestone Conservation and Restoration Project.
In a document produced at the time a total of 24 cast iron milestones were listed, six ‘milestones’ eight ‘boundary stones’ and six ‘mere stones’.
Local councillor Sam Al-Hamdani has since researched and mapped the milestones, including one previously overlooked, and volunteers have been restoring them one by one.
“With the help of volunteers, we’ve been restoring them one by one to their original appearance,” he said. “They are a lovely reminder of our heritage, and getting them back into good condition shows how much people care about this area.”
Work has included cleaning, rust removal, repainting and applying protective coatings. While many were in reasonable condition, some required more careful attention. A few have been lost or damaged over the years – including one destroyed in a road accident and others weakened at the base.
Councillor Alicia Marland, who has also taken part in the project, said restoring a milestone she passed daily had deepened her connection to local history.
“I’m very proud of where I live and this milestone, and I’ll continue to care for it so future generations can enjoy it too,” she said.
The restoration work is now nearing completion, with only a small number of milestones still needing attention.
Volunteers are also exploring plans for heritage walks linking the markers across Saddleworth’s traditional divisions, giving residents and visitors a new way to explore the area’s history and character.
You must be logged in to post a comment.