Milestone

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Located on the west side of the Newcastle - Kilkeel road beside a field entrance, this dressed granite stone is c.23cm square and is finished with a pyramidal top. It bears the inscription '20' incised on the three faces visible from the road. This number denotes the distance, in Irish miles, from Newry.

Historical information

This mile marker first appears on the 1901 OS 6" map (sheet 53). Given that the distance is in Irish, rather than Imperial, measure it was almost certainly extant at the time of the 1859 map, but simply not marked. It probably dates from the late 1700s or early 1800s, if not before (it is uncertain whether the mile intervals shown along this road on A. Taylor and G. Skinner's Maps of the roads of Ireland, 1777 correspond with actual markers).

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI – OS 6/3/53/2 (1859 map).
2. PRONI- OS 6/3/53/3 (1901 map).

Secondary Sources:
1. J & N Newell, 'Mourne milestones', in 12 Miles of Mourne, vol.5, (Kilkeel 1992) pp.58-60.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

There were 24 milestones between Newry and Newcastle, of which 17 still survive. As a group they are very probably now a unique survival in the province.