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back to object record
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Notes about Milestones on Jefferys's Map, 1770
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These are miscellaneous notes about milestones on the map of
Westmorland by Thomas Jefferys, 1770. On his maps, Thomas
Jefferys numbers some routes, and numbers and marks
milestones on others, his Explanation states:-
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The Figures on the Roads are the Distances from Kendal,
except the road which crosses the County from Rear Cross.
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Milestones may or may not indicate more important routes.
Turnpikes are plotted in bold, but do not always have
milestones as well as numbering. Some numbering branches off
an important route just to show the distance to a
significant village; Great Ormside is an instance of this,
the road numbered from Blasterfield Farm, continuing from
the Kendal to Appleby numbering. In trying to match
numbering or milestones to those that still exist today,
remember that the later distances might not start at Kendal.
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For the placement of milestones, Thomas Jefferys appears to
use the statute miles as in the scale line on his map. It is
possible that Thomas Jeffreys added milestones after drawing
the maps, on roads that he knew were turnpikes. Notice that
the milestones are mostly a mile apart on the maps even when
they don't match reality.
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The road Kendal to Shap, Shap to Penrith was on a different
route from today. Thomas Jefferys's milestones match today's
for 1, 2 and 3 miles north from Kendal, and for two old
milestones, not in today's sequence. By mile 14 the old
route shown by Thomas Jefferys is today's route, but all his
milestones are 'out' by about half a mile by today's
reckoning. The old route is about half a mile shorter. There
is an old milestone by a track off the A6 on Shap Fell, and
one at the Talbot Inn, Shap, which appear to be milestones
plotted by Thomas Jefferys.
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The road Milnthorpe to Kendal is plotted with milestones
starting from Holy Trinity, Kendal, or from Nether Bridge,
and are mostly about half a mile further south than today's
milestones. The other numberings from Kendal seem to start
from the market place.
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The road Kendal to Appleby is plotted with milestones for
the first four miles; the miles are a little short. We have
found no other record of milestones on this route.
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A milestone is marked on the road Milnthorpe to Burton for
which we have not yet found another record.
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The road Lancaster to Kendal is marked with milestones that
match today's well, until just before Burton.
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The road Bowes to Brough, Brough to Appleby, Appleby to
Penrith does not have milestones marked, but is numbered
from Brough. It is plotted with an earlier, pre 1811, route
which crosses Lowther Bridge and Eamont Bridge to enter
Penrith. On this route some of Thomas Jefferys's miles are
longer than in reality.
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