Milestones and Mileposts

Aside from making our streets safer and aesthetically beautiful, street furniture are also good images that tell people the city’s history especially at the time these furniture were installed. The classic milestones and mileposts, for example, are considered as one of the mostly used street fixtures around the world. Milestones became popular during the mid eighteenth century while mileposts which are previously made of stone and now in cast iron became popular during the early nineteenth century. These furniture were both used as landmarks and sometimes were attached to stones. Lettered milestones are the only furniture that are officially listed as the country’s property but those that had lost their cast-iron plates through the passing of time were not considered in the list. Some of the still surviving boundary markers milestones that dates back from the eighteenth century are The Four Shire Stone of Evenlode and the Gloucestershire, an ashlar pillar made of limestone that marks the midpoint of the four countries.

Signposts

Another commonly used street furniture that served as important artifacts of history are the signposts. They were put up during the 17th century and though many of them survived hundreds of years unfortunately most of them were removed during the Second World War. At present, some signposts are still protected by warrant designations provided by the municipal offices because they represent perfect examples of fixtures that help preserve the diversity, interest, and the historical background of the city. Street names, moreover, are made in the form of plaques and are displayed either as carvings, embossed part on the sides of buildings, tile panels or as freestanding designs. The early plaques that were used in the eighteenth century were made with the most elaborate designs. The oldest street sign that is known to survive was a simple stone tablet bearing the name ‘Yorke Street 1636’ which can be found at London’s Tavistock Street. When it comes to listing street signs, some signs are listed together along with some buildings in which they are located or they were also recorded as freestanding fixtures.

Public Benches

Public benches and seats, moreover, are also one of the most utilized street furniture that were first used during the nineteenth century. During this era, private individuals and local authorities are required to pay just for the installation of street benches in their areas. Through the Edwardian and Victorian periods, street benches are mostly made of stone, wood, and cast-iron. These periods are also the times when benches are made with eclectic designs with fine elaborations. Some of the finest seats can still be found lining the roads of the Victoria embankment in London. Some other significant fixtures that can be found in London are the duty posts which were installed to serve as boundary markers for the payment of taxes. These early posts were made of wood but newer adaptations enabled the making of stone and iron posts. London is the place for historical landmarks especially the early signposts, street signs and street furniture. The people were able to preserve the beauty and elegance of their street by preserving such valuable icons.