Events & Activities
A number of activities and events are organised by members locally such as talks, exhibitions or guided walks. In addition, the committee organise one day Spring and Autumn conferences each year. The latter usually links with the AGM of the Society and would be held in October.
Details are provided on this website and in our newsletters posted to members.
NATIONAL / REGIONAL EVENTS
Members, guests and visitors are welcome at all our meetings. Meetings are free for members but there may be a small charge for non-members depending on the event.
Southern Autumn Conference
Warminster Museum
Saturday 10th October 2026
Our member AGM is being held online on 3rd October 2026 with the log-in details being sent to members directly.
Our Autumn Conference will very much be in person and we would be delighted for you to join us in Warminster, Wiltshire. A county with a fascinating history of roads and trackways that is reflected in our speaker programme.
We have four interesting morning speakers covering an introduction to the history of Warminster; Historic highways between Wiltshire and Somerset; the Turnpike Routes and milestones around Warminster and a presentation on Wessex milestones by Peter Stanier, Council for British Archaeology.
We're also delighted to welcome for our afternoon session a number of video presentations by Paul Whitewick. He will lead us through a variety of his light hearted but informative looks at transport history Full programme details are attached.
Northern Spring Conference
Saturday 10 April 2027
Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
A return visit in 2027 to the historic market town of Knaresborough for our Spring meeting. There will be an interesting range of topics including as our guest speaker, Chris "Wolfie" Cooper. Chris is a road historian and author of historical road books that I'm sure some members will already have on their bookshelves! The full programme is being developed and will be available by the end of 2026.
Tickets for this conference will be bookable online through EventBrite. Free for subscribing members of The Milestone Society and £7.00 per person for non-members.
Our venue is: Chain Lane Community Hub; Chain Lane; Knaresborough; HG5 0AS
Knaresborough railway station, with services from Leeds and York, is a 20 minute walk from the venue. The bus station, with local services from Harrogate, Ripon and Boroughbridge, is a 15 minute walk from the venue. By road the hall is located just off the A59 and 4 miles from Junction 47 of the A1M. There is a free parking at the village hall (30 spaces).
Doors open 9:30am with tea/coffee/ biscuits provided; the meeting starts at 10.00am and we aim to finish for 3.30pm. We'll have use of the kitchen and seating at the village hall if you want to bring a packed lunch.
Three Counties Spring Meeting
Sunday 18th April 2027
An afternoon get-together especially for members in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire - others welcome!
Venue: St Nicholas Church Barn, Grade ll listed, near Junction 6, M5; postcode WR4 0SL; 1.30 - 4.30pm.
An introduction to the Grade 1 listed church and Conservation Area followed by a talk " Highways and Waymarkers of the Three Counties". Enjoy tea and cake and updates on local issues from our County Contacts. Save the date !
PAST MEETINGS
Northern Spring Meeting at Knaresborough, North Yorkshire - Saturday 18 April 2026
Join us at our new venue in the historic town of Knaresborough for the opportunity to catch up with other members and enjoy an interesting and varied programme.
9:30am doors open – tea/coffee/ biscuits provided
10:00 – 12:30 – talks
- Guest speaker: Kathy Allday, chairperson at Knaresborough Museum
“The story of Knaresborough Forest” - David Garside, M Soc member & Boundary marker database manager;
“The Knaresborough Forest boundary stones (plus one…)” - Annie Lloyd, Northumberland & Durham County Contact;
“The CPRE Fingerpost Restoration training course – the story so far….” - Hilary Jones, M Soc Vice-chair;
“The Skipton and Knaresborough Turnpike Trust in the 21st century”
12:30 LUNCH break
13:30 Looking Back – 25 years of The Milestone Society “up north”
An open session (with anniversary cake!) so you can share some of your photos/ experiences. A short presentation, illustrated with extracts from early newsletters and On The Ground, will start us off.
- Hilary Jones, M Soc Vice-chair; “Were you there?”
14:30 – 15:15 Guided walk
A walking tour of historic Knaresborough, guided by Mike Doss, a volunteer from the local museum, to include the market place, castle and railway station.
Our venue is: Chain Lane Community Hub; Chain Lane; Knaresborough; HG5 0AS
Knaresborough is on the A59, 4 miles west of J47 of the A1M. There are rail services from Leeds and York. The bus station, with local services from Harrogate, Ripon and Boroughbridge, is a 15 minute walk from the venue. Free parking at the community centre (30 spaces) and on road.
Doors open 9:30am for a 10am start. Finish around 3.30pm.
We’ll have use of the community centre kitchen if you want to bring a packed lunch. There’s also a Lidl across the road if you forget to bring anything!
If you plan to attend please contact Hilary Jones so we’ve got an idea of numbers at [email protected] by 28 March 2026
Autumn Conference & AGM – Banbury Museum – Saturday 4th October 2025
We look forward to you joining us in Banbury for our 2025 Autumn conference and AGM. The event has been reduced in length to give you the opportunity in the afternoon to explore Banbury Museum, visit the Waterways Festival or tour the adjacent historic Tooleys Boatyard.
We have a keynote presentation by Derek Turner (Milestones & Waymarkers editor) on the “The Stainmore Road the long evolution of an ancient highway” and an informative presentation by Banbury Historical Society, “An introduction to Banbury and its transport heritage”.
Full programme details are attached.
Northern Spring Meeting – Saturday 12 April 2025 – Gargrave, North Yorkshire
We are returning to Gargrave in the scenic Yorkshire Dales for our next Spring conference on Saturday 12 April 2025. With a range of interesting speakers and lots to discuss it will be a great day out. Download the full programme details here.
In parallel with this event there will be a one month exhibition during April 2025 on the milestones of the Craven area at the award winning Craven Museum in Skipton Craven Museum | Skipton Town Hall. It’s free entry so do take the opportunity to view our exhibition and the fascinating local history displays.
Autumn Conference & AGM – Stonehouse, Gloucestershire – Saturday 12th October 2024
It’s your opportunity to meet up with other Society members, and the committee, to discuss what’s happening and planned in the Milestone Society at our 2024 AGM. You can also enjoy a varied Autumn conference programme with four interesting talks reflecting turnpike and canal milestone heritage in Gloucestershire (and the world…!).
The venue is Stonehouse Community Centre, Laburnum Walk, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 2NS and you can download full details of the location and the Programme here.
Our regular Book Swap table will be in operation if you have any publications you want to pass on.
There are plenty of places for refreshment in Stonehouse town centre or if you want to bring a packed lunch the hall kitchen will be available.
Doors open 9:30am for a cuppa; the meeting starts at 10.00 and ends by 16:00. Everyone welcome!