Roehampton Mounting Block

A rare and historic milestone and mounting block thought to date from 1654 has been restored and put back in its original location in Roehampton Vale.

A mounting block is a block of stone used by riders to mount a horse and the Roehampton block is combined with an inscription reading ‘From London Towne to Portsedown they say tis myls three score.’

For the past four years the council has been working with the Putney Society, Wandsworth Historical Society, Transport for London and Roehampton University on a project to relocate the mounting block permanently to a site as close as possible to its original location. 

1654

This mounting block and milestone (to help horse-riders dismount and remount) was set up at this site by Thomas Nuthall of Roehampton, to mark his appointment as local surveyor of roads.

1787

A passing traveller described it, with drawings, in a letter to The Gentleman’s Magazine (the first known record of it), signed anonymously J.L. of D ____, Kent. Apart from MYLS THREE SCORE from LONDON TOWNE (60 miles to Portsmouth was Ogilby’s ‘vulgar computation’) and Nuthall’s name, position and date of 1654, the inscriptions are largely enigmatic. J.L. wrote that it was “opposite the 9-mile stone.”

1814/1821

Mentioned by Manning & Bray (1814) and Thomas Kitson Cromwell (1821) but then lost, perhaps removed for road improvements. 1921: Rediscovered during the demolition of a barn in Parish Yard, off Wandsworth High Street (opposite the end of Putney Bridge Road). How it came to be there is a mystery. It was identified by local historian and nurseryman Ernest Dixon, who purchased it and displayed it in his nurseries (later garage) on West Hill. It was subsequently moved to the garden of a local house, then stored at Wandsworth Museum and the University of Roehampton.

2018

Re-installed at its original site. 

Find out more 

For full details, view the Roehampton Mounting Block information board.