Saddleworth milestones set to be more than just signs of the times

Two local councillors, with the help of volunteers, are closing in on restoring all the traditional metal milestones across Saddleworth.

And the newly-refreshed historic milestones will be more than just signs of the times.

This work started a couple of years ago when a milestone in Austerlands was repainted by members of the local community group –  Paul Sykes and David Needham – who spoke to the Council and were advised on all the correct ways to restore the milestone to its original condition.

Local councillor Sam Al-Hamdani spoke to Paul about it while they were working as part of the strategic planning committee at Saddleworth Parish Council.

Paul passed on all the guidance from the council on how to restore the milestones, including specialist paints to ensure they are properly protected against the worst of the weather, and was on hand for advice throughout.

Although there had been repeated requests from councillors to have the rest of the milestones restored, very little had been done, so fellow councillor Alicia Marland requested a full list of Saddleworth milestones to have a look at them themselves.

The list wasn’t very detailed – while someone had been out and tried to find the milestones quite a few were missing accurate locations.

However, Councillor Al-Hamdani tracked them all down and now has a precise list and a map – including one missed off the list altogether.

Sadly though, one has been destroyed in a road accident, and another two have had the lower half damaged.

Councillor Al-Hamdani said: "About half of the milestones were in pretty good condition, although not all of those had had the lettering done, which is the most time-consuming bit.

"With the help of a few volunteers, we’ve been restoring them one by one to their original look.

“The rest needed doing from scratch – wire brushing to remove debris, and specialist paints to preserve and protect them.

"I was particularly glad a couple in Friezland and Greenfield  had already been done – all the rest are either on a grass verge or on the pavement, but those two would have needed to be done from in the road, which we wouldn’t do.

“They are a lovely reminder of our heritage, and getting them all into good condition shows people really care about the area.”

Councillor Marland added: "I've had the pleasure of living in Grotton for over 25 years and walked past this milestone marker thousands of times.

"What took me so long?

"Sadly the maintenance of the milestones, a heritage project, was not a priority for Oldham Council so instead of waiting any longer I thought I'd do it myself.

“I'm very proud of where I live and this milestone, and I will continue to care for it for future generations to enjoy."

There are four more that need work doing - the councillors hope to complete them in the next two months, and Councillor Al-Hamdani has been working on a series of walks across the area which touch each of the milestones in the meres – the four traditional areas of Saddleworth: Shawmere, Quickmere, Lordsmere and Friarmere.

Councillor Al-Hamdani added: “I took my family out on our first attempt on New Year’s Day, although my six-year-old daughter wasn’t delighted with some of the hills.

"But if she’s growing up round here, she’ll have to learn."

Councillor Chris Goodwin, Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, said: “We recognise and welcome the enthusiasm shown by local councillors and residents in wanting to protect and restore historic metal milestones, which form an important part of our local heritage.

“However, for safety reasons, we do not recommend members of the public carry out cleaning or restoration work on or beside the public highway.”

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