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Summary

Early 19th century cast iron milepost with raised lettering reading 14 miles to/from Plymo[uth] on the left and right faces respectively.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1493609: Milepost north of Station Cross, Junction of B3213 and B3121 (Kingsbridge Road), Wrangaton, South Brent, Devon

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NE/346

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MILEPOST (Set up, XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Milepost (M.P.) marked, 14 miles to/from Plymouth.

Devon County Council, 1989 - 2010, Highway Management Database, 1805626 (Un-published). SDV347581.

Jenkinson, T., 2005 - 2011, B3416/B3212/B3344/Old A38 Exeter to Plymouth (Report - Survey). SDV322256.

Site visit 18th September 2003 and 16th August 2009. Cast iron mile post with raised lettering on south side of old A38 at Wrangaton Cross. The lettering reads '14/Miles/To/Plymouth/14/Miles/From/Plymouth'. The post has suffered from neglect and is quite badly rusted. There is a split in its semi-pyramidal top.
This important stretch of road between Exeter and Plymouth was much improved in the 1820s as a result of recommendations from Civil Engineer James Green with new sections cut to by pass South Brent and Buckfastleigh. The old A38 retains a variety of interesting markers ranging from the original limestone ones favoured by the Totnes and Ashburton Turnpike to the cast iron mileposts of the Plymouth Eastern Trust.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2006, Milepost at Station Cross, Ivybridge, Devon (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV360791.

Notification that the milepost at Station Cross, Ivybridge, Devon has been added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural Interest at Grade II.
An early C19 cast iron milepost on the B3213 northeast of Station Cross.
Description: the milepost is triangular in section with a semi-pyramidal top. Raised text reading '14 MILES TO PLYMO' on the left face and '14 MILES FROM PLYMO' on the right face. This is one of the few remaining mileposts marking the original A38 running from Plymouth to South Brent.
Date listed: 13th February 2006

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Milepost (MP) marked at Station Cross, close to the junction with the A3121.

Historic England, 2025, Milepost at Station Cross (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV366447.

Notification that, in order to correct a missing entry, Historic England is assessing whether to add the milepost to the National Heritage List for England.

Historic England, 2025, Milepost north of Station Cross, Junction of B3213 and B3121 (Kingsbridge Road), Wrangaton, South Brent, Devon (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV366522.

Notification that the milepost has been added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

Historic England, 2025, National Heritage List for England 2025, 1493609 (National Heritage List for England). SDV366287.

Milepost north of Station Cross, Junction of B3213 and B3121 (Kingsbridge Road), Wrangaton, South Brent
Summary
This milepost was erected in the 1820s by the Plymouth Eastern Turnpike Trust. It has remained in or very close to its original location and it reflects the improvements made to the turnpike system in this part of Devon during the early C19.
Reasons for Designation
The milepost north of Station Cross is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest: as a legible example of an early-C19 milepost that survives on or very close to its original location.
Historic interest: as testament to the continued wave of road improvement throughout the C19, following the widespread development of turnpike roads in the C18.
Group value: it is one of a series of mileposts erected along this route by the Plymouth Eastern Turnpike Trust, and one other is listed.
History
The milepost is situated on the south side of the B3213 at its junction with Kingsbridge Road (B3121). It was one of 15 or possibly 16 such markers erected in the 1820s along the Plymouth to South Brent section of the London to Plymouth Post Road (the old A38) by the Plymouth Eastern Turnpike Trust, which was established in 1757. They were to a design known as Plymouth V casting and were originally painted white with the text picked out in black. The milepost north of Station Cross is believed to be in its original position and is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1887. It was repainted in 2014 or 2015.
With the construction of the A38 dual carriageway in the 1970s many of these mileposts were deemed redundant and taken down. The post marking 11 miles is listed at Grade II, and the one at 13 miles was repaired and reinstated in the early C21.
Details
A cast-iron milepost of the 1820s erected by the Plymouth Eastern Turnpike Trust.
DESCRIPTION The milepost is triangular in section with a semi-pyramidal top. It is painted white with black lettering. Raised text on the left face reads: ’14 MILES TO PLYMO,’ and on the right face is ’14 MILES FROM PLYMO’.
Date first listed: 6th June 2025

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV2155 - Exeter to Plymouth Milestone Survey

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