Distance Learning

[Birchy]

I believe that the 'centre' of London is Eleanor's Cross at Charing Cross. Therefore, all yer 'Miles to London' are measured thus.....but do other places - in those dreadfully murky provinces - have their own central bit from which distances are measured?

[sft42]

From the dusty lesser used portion of me noggin...i have a vague recollection that the distances your referring to are taken from the town centre post office...though i can't find anywhere to confirm this yet so i may be wrong.

[answerbok]

agree with sft.

[Quizmonster]

It may well be that distances in modern times are based on Post Offices...eg perhaps the Global Positioning System uses these as the marker-point, I don't know. However, the earliest milestones in Britain were erected by the Romans and the GPO was not created until the middle of the 17th century!

From medi�val times, though, the vast majority of towns had a Market Cross (Mercat Cross in Scotland). This was invariably set up in a central square, often outside the major church, where the town's trade was carried on. Indeed, some towns still have them as a central feature. Distances would have been measured from there.

[sddsddean]

If I remember correctly birchy, the distances to London are done from Trafalgar Square as there used to be a 24hr Post Office there, but as that is only about 200 yds from the Eleanor Cross (which is actually a copy, not an original) it is as good as the same place. BTW the 3 remaining original crosses are at Geddington, Northants; Towcester Road, Northampton and Waltham Cross.

[anthomson]

Just to add to sddsddean's notes about the crosses, Eleanor was the Queen of Edward I and after she died a memorial cross was erected at each place her body rested as it was moved from Lincoln to Westminister Abbey. In my youth I reget to say I often use to hang around the cross at Geddington.

[sddsddean]

Just to let you know anthomson, its still there as I was planing around it with my truck the other day. The pub beside it does a great beef and salad french stick washed down with a pint of shandy (it was while it was really hot; thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

[Maudlettice]

All distances to and from London are measured from Hyde Park Corner - just outside No1, London which is Apsley House the home presented to the Duke of Wellington after Waterloo by a grateful Nation.

[Birchy]

So London's "central point" is Trafalgar Square AND Hyde Park Corner......any others ???

[Maudlettice]

Nothing is measured from Trafalgar Square, Birchy. All road distances are from Hyde Park Corner as I previously described (in fact to the position of the old toll gate just outside No 1 London). All train distances are to the London Terminal they enter (Paddington, Euston etc). The theoretical centre of London is the old Whitehall Palace, of which only the Banqueting House now exists (and well worth a visit).

[Maudlettice]

An unexpected moment has given an opportunity to answer further. There is no standard place in any town/city to which measurements are taken. In the olde days it could be a river crossing, bridge, crossroads, place where horses were kept etc. In some country areas measurements still relate to these. However with the large sprawl of modern towns and cities the survey team decides a logical theoretical centre point to which to relate measurements. 40 miles to London is only a theoretical statement. As you approach the signeage changes to City, West End, Clapham, Primrose Hill etc with mileage to each down to 1/4 mile. After which it says Centre with no distance, and you decide for yourself when you've arrived. Maps of Britain are based on the National Grid, which starts from a theoretical point West of the Scilly Isles and shows Britain unravelled and flat and therefore distorted. GPS is based upon many GLOBE shapes coinciding, is a Lat/Long system of its own and does not relate to the National Grid or the Greewich Meridian. Historical mapping is based upon a theoretical SPHERE shape.