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Surviving milestones on the routes to Maldon. Two routes wended their way to Maldon at the head of the tidal River Blackwater. Shown on the Chapman and André map of Essex is the route from Margaretting where it left "The Great Essex Road" and ran through what are now minor roads to Great Baddow where it follows the A414 through Danbury and then back along minor roads from Runsell Green to Maldon. Of the original fourteen (from LONDON 25 to LONDON 38), eight survive. All are of a common style, limestone in an almost square in section with slightly domed tops. The alternative route to Maldon ran from Chelmsford and followed the line of the current A414 into Maldon via Woodham Mortimer. Only the milestone at Woodham Mortimer is known to survive along that road. Several routes also made their way out from Maldon into the Dengie Hundred terminating at Bradwell-Juxta-Mare, Southminster, Burnham (on Crouch) and North Fambridge. Although miles and milestone images shown on the 1777 map, all trace of mileages were omitted from the first Ordnance Survey one inch map. No milestones are known to survive from these routes.
Surviving milestones on the routes to Rochford and Hadleigh. The Rochford turnpike ran from Shenfield to Rayleigh along what is now the A129. From Rayleigh the route continued through Hockley and Hawkwell to Rochford along today's B1013. From Rochford the route may have continued via Shopland to Southchurch and possibly continuing Shoebury. No milestones are known to survive beyond Rochford. The milestones along the route are mainly limestone with square section. Those at Shenfield and Wickford are larger with a pronounced taper and show evidence that they once had some form of plate attached. The survivor at Billericay is rare granite example. The dating of the inscriptions along the Rochford Turnpike provides a puzzle. Southend had little significance until the second half of the 19th century but is given as a principle place on the milestones. No date has been ascertained when Southend was cut into the stones - unlikely that it was prior to the latter half of the 19th century. The route to Hadleigh and Leigh branched off the Rochford Turnpike at Rayleigh. Beyond Hadleigh the route continued to either Prittlewell or rejoined the Rochford to Southchurch road. Only a single milestone at Hadleigh survives. The Hadleigh Trust had extensive routes in the south of the county but it failed in c.1820. Click on the thumbnails for larger image. Details of each marker will be completed as time allows. All photographs on this page by Sue Adams (SA), Peter Nelson (PN) and John V Nicholls (JVN)
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| Routes to Maldon | |||
Margaretting (PN) NGR: TL 673 017 |
Discovered by Peter Nelson of Great Baddow on 25 June 2003 | 
Galleywood (PN) NGR: TL 6890 0207 |
Discovered by Peter Nelson of Great Baddow on 30 March 2003. |
Galleywood (JVN) NGR: TL 70270277 |
Milestone at Galleywood Common on minor road from Galleywood to Margaretting. This milestone was subject to a short article in The Milestone Society newsletter No.3. | 
Galleyend (JVN) NGR: TL 71690359 |
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Great Baddow (JVN) NGR: TL 72570468 |
Milestone now set on garden boundary. This stone was rescued during road improvements and moved (c.1970) approximately 5 m to current position. Text and benchmark were re-cut in 1971. | 
Woodham Walter (SA) NGR: TL 81200607 |
Re-erected adjacent to Milestone Barn, this milestone was disinterred several years ago, probably after burial in 1940. It is possibly the "wrong way round" because all the other milestones along the route with benchmarks incised into their top have the broad arrow pointing away from the road. Grade II listed. |
Maldon (SA) NGR: TL 83740712 |
Partly sunken in the verge opposite Maldon Cemetery. | 
Maldon (SA) NGR: TL 85500675 |
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Woodham Mortimer (SA) NGR: TL 81320499 |
Grade II listed |
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| Rochford and Hadleigh turnpike survivors. | |||
 Shenfield (JVN) NGR: TQ 60759475 |
Hutton (SA) NGR: TQ 62409512 |
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Billericay (JVN) NGR: TQ 66829434 |
On A129 south
side. Set back from the road 10m east of bus lay by.
This stone was cleaned 28 July 2002. Click on the thumbnail for the before and after pictures. |
Billericay NGR: TQ68129359 |
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Ramsden Crays (JVN) NGR: TQ 71629238 |
Wickford (SA) NGR: TQ 74559331 |
Grade II listed | |
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Rawreth NGR: TQ 77389306 |
Grade II listed | 
Rawreth (SA) NGR: TQ 78209210 |
Close inspection of this stone in May 2003 showed up the fact that it is actually an upturned, mid 20th century kerbstone. |
Rayleigh (SA) NGR: TQ 80919097
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Rayleigh (SA) NGR: TQ 79509165
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This stone is something of an enigma. The use of Roman numerals indicate a date pre 18th century. However, it is unlikely that Southend would have been the principle destination at that time. | |
Hockley (SA) NGR: TQ 8205 9199 |
Hockley (SA) NGR: TQ 8344 9251 |
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Hawkwell (SA) NGR: TQ 8477 9192 |
Hawkwell (SA) NGR: TQ 8540 9050 |
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Rochford (SA) NGR: TQ 8677 9045 |
Rochford (SA) NGR: TQ 8769 9008
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Hadleigh (SA) NGR: TQ 8137 8682
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Southend on Sea NGR: TQ 8418 8625 |
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