'Historically significant' Gilford and Banbridge roadside milestones to be listed
A request has been approved for the listing of traditional roadside milestones in Gilford and Banbridge.
The request – relating to 73 Lisnagade Road, Banbridge, and at 36 and 67 Loughbrickland Road, Gilford – was submitted by the Department for Communities’ Historic Environment Division, as these rare artefacts, although small, are historically significant.
A District Council Consultation, referring to the milestone at 73 Lisnagade Road, Banbridge, explains that the three artefacts are very similar in design: “The current milestone (bearing the number 59 on three sides) is one of a series of three similar stones installed along the road running between Gilford and Loughbrickland.
“The milestones are difficult to date with any certainty. However, we can tentatively attribute them to the mid to late 18th century, when the current road was a major route connecting Newry and Dublin.
“Some indication of date can be derived from the general simplicity of the stones, which bear no other information than the distance in Irish miles from/to Dublin, carved on three sides – this suggests an early date, later milestones generally displaying distances to various nearby towns.”
In correspondence to DfC, head of Planning at Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council, Damian Mulligan responded favourably to DfC’s listing request, albeit with a degree of caution.
He stated: “It should also be noted that while Council has no objections to the proposed listing, it would be supportive of the property owner if they were to raise any concerns in relation to the proposed listing of the milestone.”
The matter was raised at the December 3 ABC Planning & Regulatory Services committee meeting.
The senior Planning officer told committee members: “The milestones are located relatively close to one another, along Loughbrickland and Lisnagade Roads, which are just a few miles west of Banbridge.
“All three milestones are of similar design, each being of granite construction engraved on three sides and having a distinctive top.
“They’re relatively low in height, varying from 500 to 900 mm. DfC consider them to be of special architectural and historic interest.
“Officers propose to respond to DfC, raising no objections.”
The recommendation to approve the listing of the milestones was proposed by Councillor Scott Armstrong (DUP, Armagh DEA) and seconded by Councillor Paul Duffy (Sinn Féin, Portadown DEA).