Miles to London (or wherever)

[PabloBrown]

When a road sign says it is for example 112 miles to London, where exactly am I 112 miles away from?

[Quizmonster]

Charing Cross.

[Will423]

From London

[fairy!]

Yeah, but the outskirts of the place?  Or slap bang in the centre??

[Octavius]

When Queen Eleanor of Castile died in 1290, Edward I commissioned twelve crosses, each at one of the stopping places on her body's procession from Lincoln to Westminster. The original cross was replaced, then demolished (the stone being re-used used to make paving along Whitehall, round the corner), and in 1863 a rather ornate version (not strictly a replica) was put up in front of Charing Cross railway station, a couple of hundred yards away. Mileage distances on road signage are still measured from this point.

In Roman London, distances were said to be measured in from the London Stone which was placed in the walled city area. It sits today in a niche in a wall of a bank in Cannon Street.

[Loosehead]

QM is correct it is top Charing Cross, I've hear this several times but I have no idea why!

[Loosehead]

Thanks Octavious, crossed postings!

[Pinotage]

Why did Quizmonster get one star? He answered the question first, correctly and exactly, and within one minute of the question being posted.

[driverdale1]

i believe the answer you require is to the post office of any given town or city...i was told this many years ago...dont ask about the towns that dont have a main post office

[brachiopod]

I had thought it was the statue of Sir Charles Napier in Trafalgar Square.

However, I have since heard that it is the statue of Charles I on horseback at the Southern end of Traffy Square that distances are measured from. This being the original site of the Eleanor Cross, which was removed during the Civil War (The 17th century one, not the Poll tax Riots of 1989), and a replica subsequently erected at Chring Cross.

[Quizmonster]

Thanks for your support, Pinotage and Loosehead. The question seemed to require only a two-word answer and I thought I'd given just that. But, what the hey!

[Pinotage]

This is the thing that amuses me about this site. Even when a correct answer has been given -- by someone that knows the facts -- others still  pile on with suppositions.

From the Railtrack site

Situated on the forecourt of the stations is the Eleanor Cross, from which point road distances from London are measured. Queen Eleanor was the wife of Edward 1 and the cross is one of many erected at points on the journey where her body was rested on its way from Lincoln to Westminster for burial. see http://www.networkrail.co.uk/Stations/stations/Charingcross/Default.aspx

 

Now give Quizzy his 3 stars

[brachiopod]

I take it then, Pinotage, that from now on, all future questions should only be answered once by 'someone that knows the facts', and that further posts that are merely useless 'supposition' should not be piled on?

Does a reference to a Railtrack website make an answer any more correct?

This question has demonstrated to be one that raises a number of possible answers;

The Guardian's 'Notes & Quries'  seemed to have no more success at qualifying the answer.

Whereas, the Ordnance Survey's 'MapZone' section for kids, cites the Charles I statue for its answer.

On  this site, possibly more akin to reality, it supposes (if supposition is allowed) that there are a number of sites that different agencies take there references from.
(See section entitled "The Stone as a Landmark")

[Quizmonster]

Hey, I've now got three stars, Pinotage!  I didn't know one could alter such ratings. Thanks for your efforts on my behalf. (And to you, too, Pablo.)
Actually, the star system is a bit of a two-edged sword in any case. The key problem with it is the fact that no-one sees the one, two or three as relatively praiseworthy suggesting 'not bad', 'pretty good' and 'excellent'. One star seems to be 'damning with faint praise', two as 'could try harder' and three as 'good'...but then they're often 'awarded' just because the answer agrees with the obvious viewpoint of the questioner. 

[Octavius]

So we are all agreed then?

[brachiopod]

Dunno, ask Pinotage, he seems to have appointed himself the authority on the subject.

[Pinotage]

First class answer Brachiopod, with references and everything (in your second one I mean). Deffo three stars.

When I worked in the Civil Service it was laid down that Charing Cross was the measuring point for road distances -- and more importantly -- for the distance London weighting (additional pay) allowances were paid. And so for me thats always been the correct answer.

But now you've given some convincing evidence for an alternative.

So there we go, PabloBrown, two good (but different) answers.   

[Octavius]

Hope the little tantrum doesn't put PabloBrown off revisiting AB.

[Skids]

You'e all off your heads.

The title of the question implies that PabloBrown wished to know where the distance on any road sign is measured from for any town, not just London which you lot have taken upon yourself to answer.

Generally (because its not the same for all places) the distance shown on a road sign is the distance to that town's main post office, usually situated in the town centre.

[PabloBrown]

Whilst I've enjoyed all the banter between y'all, Skids, you infact HAVE answered the question!  I'm sure you're not that bothered with stars (unlike everyone else!?) but if I could give more I would.  Thank you, for answering my question.

[trish1234567]

I always understood it to be "Marble Arch".