The Great North Road A1, Alconbury Hill Milestone and Ermine Street.

The illustration of the meeting of the two roads at the milestone is by Charles G. Harper, and was included in his book 'The Great North Road', published in 1901. *** I left today’s A1 to follow the old Great North Road through Alconbury and Alconbury Weston. My destination was Alconbury Hill and an important meeting place of roads, the Great North Road and the Old North Road (the Roman Ermine Street). Both roads were seen as alternative routes to and from London in the heyday of the stage coach era, and the place where they met at Alconbury Hill was marked in 1770 by a monumental milestone. A piece of transport history, passed by many, seen by few. Built to serve a utilitarian purpose, the Alconbury Hill Milestone has become a lasting monument, marking a place of immense social significance in terms of the movement of people across Britain. Motorcycle: Honda CB500F © John Dunn.