Milepost on Minchinhampton common

Woodpeckers was running a bit late this morning, as she had started her online coursework before going to her job. I drove her across town to St Rose's and then instead of going home, I turned to ascend Butterow hill and then followed my nose up onto the common. I had my camera and thought an early blip might be a good idea, having taken yesterday off.

Throughout my journey various people, cars and lorries had blocked my path, such that ityt seemed one of those days. Then as I crossed Rodborough common a lone black cow came running down the hillside and trotted straight across the road just in front of me. The animals have right of way so I was prepared, but it made me very aware of the cattle spread around the common.

A little further on the road ascended again up onto the highest point of Minchinhampton common and seeing another herd of cows grazing on the golf course ticked my box, and I pulled over on to the grass to park. There were quite a few golfers on various tees a, fairways and holes, mingling with all the cows who were sharing the space. I tried to look for some odd images of cows and golfers but in the gloomy conditions nothing stood out.

A little further away I saw this old stone milepost, which is a favourite scratching post for cows, although none were there today. I squatted, and then lay down in the old ditch, which is probably the pathway of the ancient track across the common which the modern road runs parallel to. This whole area was an important centre of iron age activity, and subsequently became a roman centre. Only a mile away, at the bottom of the adjacent valley running down from Nailsworth, is the site of a roman villa where one of the most important mosaics in Britain was discovered. It may have been the site of the villa of the Roman governor of Cirencester, the second largest city in England at that time.

The road became a turnpike in much more recent times and allowed a dry and flat route from Stroud to Cirencester, leading on to London for coaches carrying all the wool products of the valleys. The first London stagecoach service from the town was apparently the Stroudwater Flying coach, established in 1769, making the journey three times a week through Cirencester and Oxford. One company used to start from The Bear inn at Rodborough, which lies just behind the trees on this horizon, and I gather it would take only about 24 hours to reach The Strand.

Mileposts ares still dotted about the local area, but I've never seen one with a cast iron plate like this one, mounted on what appears to be an old standing stone of the very distinctive local oolitic limestone, that develops these deep pockmarks. The sign says Stroud is 3 miles away, Hampton (the old name for Minchinhampton) is 1 mile and Ciren is 11 miles. Local people still refer to Cirencester (the modern name for the ancient Roman city of Corinium), as Ciren in conversation.