A historic Grade-II listed milestone, which has stood between two Welsh market towns for more than 260 years, could be dug up to make way for new modern homes.
Located along the A483 between Llandrindod Wells and Builth Wells is a series of ‘well preserved’ 18th century milestones which are of ‘considerable historic value’.
Plans have been now approved by Powys County Council to build four homes and two garages near to where one of the milestones is located, which means it needs to be moved ‘carefully’.
Instructions on how to carefully remove the milestone, believed to have been erected in 1759, have been submitted as part of the application for listed building consent.
If its removed the milestone will be refurbished and repainted, because its lettering has ‘largely weathered away’. Its inscription which reads ‘To Ye Wells’ and ‘to Builth 6M’ has been partially obscured by the build-up of tarmac.
Milestones were first brought to Britain by the Romans. This series of milestones were listed in 2004 due to their ‘special historic interest’.
The proposed removal of the milestone follows the granting of outline planning permission for four homes and two garages at the former Greenacre Garden Centre in Howey.
One of the homes, which will have three bedrooms, will be sold as affordable housing, while the remaining three properties which have four-bedrooms will be sold on the open market.
A report submitted to the council earlier this month states: ‘The milestone is of considerable historic interest in relation to the development of roads in the area and also to the development of the wells, 100 years before the railway opened the spa to greater numbers of visitors.’
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