Yesterday we passed this badly eroded milestone, and marvelled at the changes it has seen.

Erected in the 1700s, it guided travellers along the bustling Buxton Old Coach Road. Back then, its inscription gleamed: “To Buxton 2 miles”.

But it wasn't without its downsides. The steepness and mud made travel for heavy coaches difficult. Records show one solicitor in the 1700s described it as “They are very bad and boggy and I can venture to say that the greatest part of them are the worst roads in the King’s dominions, as far as I have seen.” If this was Google reviews, it's safe to say he'd have awarded it 1 star.

Now the road passed through two of the Duke of Devonshire’s industrial sites, the Goyt Moss coal mine and Grin Low lime kiln. Being an enterprising fellow, the Duke realised if the road was updated his industrial pursuits would be more profitable. Cobblestones were laid across the road, and the area became a bustling centre of activity, with carts carrying tonnes of coal to power the lime kiln. Imagine the smoke, the shouts, the layer of dusty coal that would've lined the road and the travellers’ sleeves as they shrugged passed this milestone, now a bit worn and dirty.

As anyone who has walked on cobblestones in the rain can attest, they're lethally slick with a bit of moisture. And the cobblestones didn't negate the intrinsic steepness of the road.

By 1823 an alternative route was built, one with fewer inclines and inclement conditions. Over the last 200 years the milestone marker saw coal miners replaced with weekend warriors: cyclists, walkers, holiday-makers. Nature reclaimed this once-buzzing area of industry and the stone has stood a silent witness to it all.

Today the milestone stands worn and stopped over, carrying the weight of the area's history. Once a vital marker to help travellers navigate inhospitable terrain, many people now pass it without a glance.

Big thanks to Goyt Valley for providing the insights to this stone:

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