Oxford Milestones: London–Henley–Oxford turnpike
This road from London to Oxford via Dorchester-on-Thames and Henley was turnpiked in 1736 (Act 9 George II Chap 14).
Left: Milestone at Rose Hill, Oxford
Right: Milestone at Dorchester-on-Thames
(plus a toll house)
This early turnpike road left Oxford on what is now the Iffley Road, continuing on Henley Avenue and Rose Hill to Sandford-on-Thames. It passed through Nuneham Courtenay and Berinsfield on what is now the A4074 into Dorchester-on-Thames, and on through Clifton Hampden and Abingdon to Henley-on-Thames.
It remained a route to London after the new London Road through Headington and Stokenchurch was created in the late eighteenth century, but would have been less important after this date. The following Act passed through Parliament in 1835 to repair the Oxfordshire section of the road::
An Act for repairing the Roads leading from Henley Bridge, in the County of Oxford, to Dorchester Bridge, and from thence to Culham Bridge, and to a Place called Milestone, in the Road leading to Magdalen Bridge, in the said County.
The image below shows the road from Henley (now the Iffley Road) in 1837, a year after it was turnpiked.
The last milestone on this route was the Chancellor's Milestone just before Magdalen College. An Act of 1841 (Cap. C.) is entitled:
“An Act for Repairing The Roads Leading from Henley-Upon-Thames to Culham Bridge, and to The Chancellor's Milestone near Magdalen Bridge, in The County of Oxford”.