The photograph* above dates from just before the First World War, and shows the Shipston on Stour Picture House (now long gone). By coincidence it includes (to the right) one of the nationally unique tall Mileposts of the Stratford upon Avon to Long Compton Turnpike (1730-1877). At the time of the photo it still had its direction boards, giving vital information for creating new ones when the six surviving posts were restored in 2017, with help from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. A seventh was found in 2019 and has now been restored and returned to its duties beside the A3400 near the turn to Honington, north of Shipston on Stour. Sadly, two of the newly restored posts were badly damaged by Storm Eunice in February 2022, but we finally had them restored and returned to duty in mid-2024.

*Reproduced by kind permission of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust