Three highway stones in Headington
An Act of 18 Elizabeth forced everyone who occupied land within five miles of Oxford to contribute to the repair of the roads within one mile of Oxford, and supervisors had to be nominated by the Mayor and Vice-Chancellor to execute these repairs. These mileways stretched for one mile in each direction out of Oxford: north from St Giles' Church, south from Folly Bridge, east from Magdalen Bridge, and west from Osney Bridge. They were marked with stones, and these stones survive on both the Old Road (below) and the Henley Road.
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At junction of Cheney Lane and Old Road
This boundary stone, which is on the Old Road near Cheney Lane in Headington, dates from 1667.
When this stone was erected in 1667, the present London Road did not exist, and Cheney Lane marked the start of the main route eastwards to London via Old Road and Shotover.
Listed ref: 1485/744
On 9 December 1689, 22 years after the above stone was set up, William Pudsey sued the supervisors of the mileway eastward for not repairing Headington Hill (presumably Cheney Lane). The city council and the University each laid down £20 to defend these supervisors.
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W K I F
In north side of wall of Headington Hill, just to the east of the bridge
This boundary stone probably dates from 1729, as WK and IF appear to be the initials of William Kenton and Jeremiah Franklin, Senior Bailiff and Mayor of Oxford in 1728/9. It used to stand near the top of Headington Hill.
It marks the boundary of St Andrew’s and St Clement’s parishes.
It was set into the wall to the north-east of the bridge during road improvements in 1930, and is not easily seen today because of the danger of the traffic.
Listed ref: 1485/743
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At junction of Cuckoo Lane and Marston Road
Cuckoo Lane runs down to Marston Road, petering out to a narrow footpath behind Headington Hill Park. Before 1800, this was the main road between Headington village and Oxford, which explains the position of this stone. It stands at the end of this narrow path, just by the Marston Road, and is designed to be read as the traveller left Headington.
It stands on the line of the old city boundary, and probably dates from the seventeenth century.
Listed ref: 1485/472
Five Headington boundary stones and two mounting stones
These are not listed structures, but are listed here for completeness.
Left This boundary stone in Cuckoo Lane, below the path to John Garne Way, probably dates from before 1868, when 216 acres of Headington near the top of Headington Hill were taken into Oxford.
Right This boundary stone stands at the junction of Cuckoo Lane and Pullens Lane, and was set up in 1901 in the Mayoralty of George Claridge Druce
In 1889 the new municipal boundary of Oxford was extended to the Boundary Brook (which now runs in a pipe under the London Road near the White Horse, but was then visible), taking in a large chunk of Headington. The the city of Oxford now matched the parliamentary borough.
Left This stone marking the new 1889 boundary was set up in Cuckoo Lane (in the section that is now Woodlands Road) in 1892, when F. W. Axtell was Mayor.
Right This stone on London Road opposite Headley Way is now illegible, but probably dates from the same period, as it marks the same boundary line.
Both these stones became irrelevant when the whole of Headington was taken into Oxford in 1929.
Left: Oxford’s administrative boundaries
were most recently extended in 1991.
This stone near the Thornhill Park & Ride
was set up that year in the mayoralty of Alan Pope
Mounting stones
Left: A mounting stone in the Croft in Old Headington, at the back of the White Hart
Right: An ancient mounting stone in Old Road, on the way up to Shotover
See also Headington milestones
