MADAM, I refer to the letter published in The Ross Gazette dated January 18th entitled, 'Milestone Restored At Last' from G Caldicott, Ryeford. I echo her delight in seeing the 'milestone' restored at Ryeford, as it was always a prominent symbol of the village, as was the Old Pump on the corner. However, I have to take issue with the claim that the wording is wrong.

As a child (some 30 years ago now), I spent much of my time at my grandmother's house across the road from the milestone, and always believed it to state that it was 'To Gloucester 13 miles, To Ross 3 miles' NOT 'To Hereford 17 Miles'. As Hereford is the town of my birth, I think I would have remembered this! This lead me to research the milestone, and I discovered an item on Ross-on-Wye.com which has a picture of the milestone clearly showing 'To Ross 3 miles'. Is Ms Caldicott mistaken, or is their a further, unwritten history behind the Milestone?

Philip A Miles

1 St. Swithins Close

Kettering, Northamptonshire