Milestone along Morden Road
Now here's a thing. It's clearly 'important' because it has a little railing around it - but nowhere can I find out anything about this sweet little milestone along Morden Road, near the pond at the South-East corner of Blackheath.
The wonderful Neil Rhind, who is usually so eloquent on things like this, doesn't appear to have an entry about it anywhere and The Milestone Society doesn't seem to have anything about London milestones.
Maybe someone who lives in or around The Paragon might have some idea? There are a few scratches on it, but they appear to be the work of local youths rather than any kind of detail...
The wonderful Neil Rhind, who is usually so eloquent on things like this, doesn't appear to have an entry about it anywhere and The Milestone Society doesn't seem to have anything about London milestones.
Maybe someone who lives in or around The Paragon might have some idea? There are a few scratches on it, but they appear to be the work of local youths rather than any kind of detail...
Labels: Not-Quite-Greenwich, Weird Greenwich
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
08:48
12 Comments:
Its probably a boundary marker - the historian you want is not Neil but Michael Egan - he did an article on Kidbrook Boundary markers (Greenwich Antiq Trans Vol IX, No.1. 1979). He also did a booklet but I can't find my copy.(or someone could ring Barbara Ludlow who would know at once)
ok - found Michael Egan's book and went and had a look at the stone. Not quite sure - it isn't actually quite on the parish boundary and Michael (in 1983) only talks about 'round headed boundary stones placed by the London Borough of Lewisham in the Blackheath area ... dated 1903). Perhaps someone - the Blackheath Society? - has moved it there in order to keep it safe, or some other reason. So - you actually do need to ask Neil or Michael.
Interesting subject - and - by the way Milestones are on main roads - which this isn't.
Thanks for the quick response. It does look like a round-headed boundary stone perhaps some way from home...
I think it's an old milestone. I remember looking at it a few months ago and (noting that it's illegible) remembered that it used to say "Charing Cross 8 miles, Shooters Hill 2 miles" or something similar.
Feels like a boundary marker to me too, especially as it does sit near to the current Greenwich/ Lewisham boundary (although that was tinkered with a few years back).
There's also the "London County Council Boundary" posts around Lewisham Hill, which always strike me as odd since the LCC went out much further than that.
of course - if you look at a modern map the stone is where the Greenwich/Lewisham boundary does a right angled turn. There is another stone at the top of Pond Road where it turns again
All makes sense - wonder why they decided to go for the minimalist approach through - a little writing on it would have been useful...
The stone is boundary stone (Greenwich/Lewisham) put up by Greenwich parish in 1794 when the foundations of the Paragon first built.
The cage is to prevent it being damaged by Heath maintenance vehicles.
The stone is marked as No 90 on the map contained in my book called The Heath (revised edition 2002).
The milestone you mention is on the east corner of the junction of Shooters Hill Road and Prince of Wales Road
Wow - thanks Neil - it's a big honour to be visited by your good self. I am a big fan of yours...
I have a quick question...whilst I know, the Mordern (the pub) is not on Mordern Road, it still leaves me wondering why there is no review of the Mordern!...the alcoholic landlord always ready to brawl with the young men or barrage the young women with free drinks whilst his also alcholoic (although now apparently "sober") wife who struggles to sit at the bar as the bar stools often fall over (never a problem I have encountered!)
And whilst the sofas are full of dog hair and other incriminating stains it is still an institution of Greenwich that I cannot believe has been overlooked in your otherwise wonderful website.
(My apologies on digressing from the original post...but I felt so incensed, what else was one supposed to do!)
There's Morden stuff all over Greenwich - they used to own a great swathe of it.
Sadly my attempt to review said pub was cut short when I tried to get in and was turned away by the guvnor. Never been able to work out why.
Just a shot in the dark but if any light can be shed it'd be greatly received. My Great x5 Grandfather John Tadhunter worked as a waterman on the Thames in Greenwich and lived at;
2 Morden Place
Greenwich
St Alphege?
Now I have found a Morden Road but it seem quite far from the river. Morden Arms seems like a more likely area that he may have lived. SO my question is, are there any records of a Morden Place?
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