A little part of Cotswolds heritage (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

A little part of Cotswolds heritage

PAYING tolls to use our roads is nothing new.

The first road toll in modern times was introduced by the government last year, to relieve the M6 north of Birmingham.

But paying to use British roadways was originally an 18th century practice that died out following the emergence of cheap train travel.

For the past 20 years, volunteers from the Cirencester Archaeological and Historical Society have been researching this revolutionary period to create a database and a booklet about Cotswold turnpikes - the road locations where travellers paid a fee.

Chairman David Viner: "This turnpike project is all about local road history, with a particular focus on milestones and toll houses.

"We have visited and recorded known sites, checking the location of each stone from maps and other old records.

"This project has been very well supported by other bodies and we can be pleased with the information gathered so far. Now the society wants to make it available in print over the next few months and perhaps eventually on a website.

"We've found stones which have been damaged, their plates sometimes lost of stolen, and the society has been actively encouraging their replacement.

"We've had some successes with that too, especially along the Gloucester Road when the dual carriageway was built ten years or so ago."

Turnpike trusts were first set up by businessmen to maintain and improve roads.

Milestones acted as markers and helped determine the fee charged. Trusts also took into consideration the mode of transport, such as by carriage, wagon or foot.

In Britain there are believed to be more than 7,000 milestones, with over 100 of these in Gloucestershire.

Milestone plates were originally all made of cast iron and were produced to regional designs at local foundries.

Three years ago the Milestone Society, chaired by Mr Viner, was launched nationally in an effort to create a country-wide database of these historic treasures.

Mr Viner said: "English Heritage is encouraging special interest groups to form these databases, so up and down the country there's this incredible recording taking place.

"By producing a database the society will have a lot more knowledge which can be shared."

The two societies are working together with other groups locally to record milestones throughout the county.

Mr Viner explained: "Staffordshire has a complete catalogue of its milestones and that's what we would like for Gloucestershire.

"We are covering a patch that stretches all the way from Gloucester and Cheltenham, across the Cotswolds and down into South Gloucestershire.

For example, a complete set of milestones have already been documented along the A435 Cirencester to Cheltenham road - but not all are originals.

Mr Viner said: "There has been a problem with theft over the years. Recently three or four were stolen from the Cirencester through Tetbury route on the Bath road.

"It is a real concern and the Milestone Society is very hot on reporting missing plates to the police."

One such milestone plate had disappeared from Kingscote, between Tetbury and Dursley.

But it was discovered at an auction in Worcestershire last year by an enthusiast and purchased on behalf of the Milestone Society.

The plate, which was cast in Stroud, measures 12 by 18 inches and features the mileage in Roman numerals.

Mr Viner said: "The milestone plate had been on the original road between Bath and Gloucester which wound its way up to Frocester Hill.

"But there are dangers with putting it back because the stone is right by the busy road and does occasionally get marked by hedgecutting machines.

"We could put a replica there, but we would wish to consult Kingscote Parish Council before any decision is made."

Milestones are often relocated due to modern road improvements. The two societies encourage this as a way of making these roadside treasures better known.

When the Cirencester bypass was developed it was decided to move one milestone to the Burford Road roundabout, where it is seen by thousands of motorists every day.

Mr Viner added: "It's really a visual reminder of the past for every driver who sees it. But that's part of the objective. We want to drum up further interest in these milestones and so help preserve them."