 |
Location:
Adjacent to the Two Brewers public house, Chipping Ongar. |
Date:
Early 1950s. |
| Details:
On the traffic island is a Maldon Iron Works post with
semicircular parish finial. Replaced with modern sign at
unknown date. Legends on arm - (1) BRENTWOOD 7/
ABRIDGE 8 / LONDON 21 / A113 - (2) GREENSTEAD 1/
TOOT HILL 2 1/2 - (3) EPPING / CHELMSFORD
/ DUNMOW / A113.
The Eastern National bus is
registered TM 8797 and fleet number 3081 (later 1155). It
is an AEC Regent with bodywork by Strachan. 51
seater. It was ordered as a new vehicle in 1931 and
withdrawn from service in 1956.
Check http://www.ryanbus.co.uk/bside90/index.html
for Eastern National history and fleet details. |
Credit:
© C.
Carter
(via Jim Young) |
 |
Location:
Junction of Billericay Road and Dunton Road, Herongate. |
Date:
23 Oct 1965 |
| Details:
This was the Herongate Old Dog bus terminus (at the Dunton Road junction
about 200 yards beyond the Old Dog public house - the
distinctive house is still there but the grassy island and
guidepost are gone). This was taken by Jim Young. As
the conductor he had just seen the bus back around the corner -
not a maneuver recommended today! The driver was Mr.
Kinnear.
Go to http://www.ryanbus.co.uk/bside90/index.html
for Eastern National bus histories.
The guidepost appears to be a post-war type but
showing its age. A plate holding the
"BILLERICAY" arm to the "BRENTWOOD" arm has
rusted and obscures some of the letters. There also seems
to be a plate, with or without an inscription on the opposite
side to the "SOUTHEND" arm. Dunton Road was
shown as a Cross Road from Brentwood to Tilbury Fort in Paterson's
Roads and John Cary's Itinerary, as well as early 19th century
maps.
|
Credit:
© Dr.
Jim Young. |
 |
Location:
Junction of Colingwood Road and The Avenue, Witham. |
Date:
About 1960 |
| Details:
Yet another Eastern National bus; this one heading in to Witham
from Braintree. On the extreme right of the picture on the
corner of The Avenue is a Maldon Iron Works guidepost. It
is a 7 feet 6 inch with three 7 inch arms and a conical
finial. The arm to the right bears the legend COLCHESTER
(miles if given are hidden behind the telegraph pole. The
arm to the left reads B1018 BRAINTREE. |
Credit:
© John
Scott-Mason (via Janet Gyford) |
 |
Location:
On the (now former) A120 at Takeley Street. |
Date:
1968 |
| Details:
The conical finial and arms suggest that this is a product of
Maldon Iron Works. However, the spacer between the upper
and the lower arms is not standard. The post is not
standard pattern so maybe original parts were used on a later
date post.
Thanks to Nick Catford for
allowing use of this photo taken from his Disused
Stations website. |
Credit:
© 1968
Nick Catford |
 |
Location:
TQ 505978. At
junction of road from Passingford Bridge and Theydon Mt, looking
towards Abridge. |
Date:
13 March 1963 |
| Details:
A pristine example of a Maldon Iron Works post probably lost
during the construction of the nearby M25 motorway. |
Credit:
© Dr.
Jim Young. |
 |
Location:
Junction of Nevendon Road, High Street and London Road,
Wickford. |
Date:
1958 |
| Details:
Maldon Iron Works guidepost with missing finial. Probably
removed when the junction was made into a crossroads during
bypass construction. |
Credit:
Unknown |
 |
Location: Kiln
Road (A13), South Benfleet, opposite Kenneth Road. (Top of
Bread & Cheese Hill) |
Date:
1985 |
| Details: Although
taken comparatively recently (1985) this wintry picture by Paul
Fretwell has been included for aesthetic reasons as well as
recording this Maldon Iron Works guidepost. The finial
appears to be a disc type which are uncommon and the only other
examples being in a cluster around Ingatestone, Stock, Hutton
and a single one at Hockley. Since 1985 the post has been
replaced by a new one in cast traditional form. Click
on the thumbnail for "then and now" pictures. |
Credit:
© Paul Fretwell
1985. |
 |
Location:
Unknown but probably somewhere in north or north west Essex |
Date:
1940? |
| Details:
This image illustrates the fate of guideposts all over the
country in the spring of 1940. With the fear of invasion
all signs (including milestones) were either taken down,
obliterated or destroyed. No doubt many historically
important posts were lost and never replaced. |
Credit:
Unknown |
 |
Location:
The Street, Little Waltham |
Date:
May 1944 |
| Details:
A Maldon Iron Works guidepost with semicircular parish
finial. The post was still in place as late as 1963 (see
below). The American troops in the picture are most likely
marching back to Boreham airfield after taking part in the
"Salute the Soldier Day" parade in Chelmsford. |
Credit:
Unknown |
 |
Location:
The Street, Little Waltham |
Date:
c.1963 |
| Details:
Same location as the previous image almost 20 years later.
It is not known when the Maldon Iron Works guidepost was
replaced but a guess is the 1970s. |
Credit:
Unknown |
 |
Location:
NGR: TL 8127 1532.
Powershall End, Witham.
|
Date:
5 September 1963
|
| Details:
The Powershall End guidepost can be seen in the background when
it still had its second arm. It is a Maldon Iron Works
example with a conical finial. The legend on the now missing
arm was FAULKBOURNE / NOTLEYS, TERLING / BRAINTREE. The happy man strolling
through the September 1963 flood is Mr. Alfred Lepper.
CLICK ON THE THUMBNAIL IMAGE FOR "THEN AND NOW"
COMPARISON.
|
Credit:
Unknown. (Via Janet Gyford)
|
 |
Location:
NGR: TL 818126. Witham. It was on
the Maldon Road (now B1018) going out of Witham, on a bend just
west of Oliver's farm.
|
Date: About
1959 |
Details:
A lost Witham finger post. It was made redundant
when the A12 cut off the 'Bye Road to Witham' (the arm pointing
to the left) running northwards towards Home Farm. It was a
3-arm Maldon Iron Works example with semicircular parish plate
finial. The handsome chap in the picture is George Vale,
the baby is is son Richard, and the date is about 1959.
Amongst his retirement occupations is writing reports on Witham
Town's football matches for the local newspaper, and winning
gardening prizes.
|
Credit:
George Vale (via Janet Gyford)
|
 |
Location:
Elmstead
|
Date: Believed
to be late 1950s. |
| Details: A
Maldon Iron Works post with one 10½ and three
7 inch arms. Semicircular parish finial. No further
details currently available.
|
Credit: Unknown.
(Via Jim Young)
|
 |
Location:
Upminster crossroads
|
Date: After
c.1920 |
| Details: An
old postcard showing Upminster crossroads. It certainly
dates after c.1920 as two of the arms have road numbers on
them. It appears that the arms have been fixed to the lamp
standard on the circular traffic island.
|
Credit: Unknown.
|
 |
Location:
Thaxted. Was opposite junction of the road to Bardfield.
|
Date: Before
the mid 1930s |
| Details: The
Menu Milestone at Thaxted. Image taken from a photocopy of
a 1930s National Benzole pamphlet. Does anyone have any
knowledge of this unique marker? When was it
removed? Does it still exist in private hands or a museum?
|
Credit: Unknown.
|
 |
Location: It
was on the corner of Upminster Common (now called Tyler's
Common) at the junction of Nags Head Lane with Warley Road.
|
Date:
About 1910 |
| Details:
This post was still in existence c.1970 but with only the arm
towards BRENTWOOD remaining. The opposite side of the arm
was cast BROOK STREET. Date of ultimate destruction
unknown. With its slender, fluted shaft, it can
almost certainly be attributed to Wedlake of Hornchurch and can
possibly date to around 1840. Image shows postcard view of
uncertain date but believed to be c.1910.
|
Credit:
Unknown. Via Geoff Perrior. |
 |
Location: Steven's
Corner, Basildon.
|
Date: Late
1950s or early 1960s. |
| Details: A
sign of the past. This genuine 19th century finger post
once stood at Steven's Corner, Basildon. It was probably
swept away c.1960 in the name of progress as Basildon new town
developed. See also Upminster in the pictorial guide below
for possibly the last survivor of a "real" finger
post. Possibly cast by Whitmore & Binyon of Wickham
Market in the 1860s.
|
Credit:
Unknown. |
| |
|
|
ESSEX