TQ 3120 6176. Someone sent me this picture and asked what is it? It is painted on a wall in Foxley Lane, Purley near the junction with Russell Hill Road, ie. at the junction with those two roads and the Purley Way and Pampisford Road.
The text is “DOT No. A23 1900 R”. DOT is Department of Transport, A23 is the road number and 1900 R is the entry in the DOT’s list. But list of what? The answer is: list of walls, bridges and other structures which were the responsibility of the DOT. (I think I have seen similar signs on bridges.) The name Department of Transport existed between 1976 and 1997. It and its successors are responsible for trunk roads except, as the "HA/TfL" notice in the previous image indicates Transport for London looks after this wall.
The text is “DOT No. A23 1900 R”. DOT is Department of Transport, A23 is the road number and 1900 R is the entry in the DOT’s list. But list of what? The answer is: list of walls, bridges and other structures which were the responsibility of the DOT. (I think I have seen similar signs on bridges.) The name Department of Transport existed between 1976 and 1997. It and its successors are responsible for trunk roads except, as the "HA/TfL" notice in the previous image indicates Transport for London looks after this wall.