A handmade signpost that appeared on Plymouth’s Crownhill Road last week with historical place names such as ‘Knackersknowle’ and ‘Military Road’ on it has been removed.

The black and white striped wooden sign was installed on Plymouth City Council-owned land without planning permission, the council has confirmed.

A resident, who did not wish to be named, said he noticed it appeared on the road last week between Merrivale Road and Woodland Fort. He said he rather liked it.

It gave estimated mileages to Knackersknowle (which Crownhill used to be known as in the 1800s), St Budeaux Square, Truro, Exeter, Land’s End and London.

After doing some research, the resident said Crownhill Road was likely named Military Road in the past as it linked together forts at Woodlands, Agaton and Crowndale among others.

By Friday the sign had been taken down.

A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said they had been “completing checks and working on the next steps” after they became aware of the sign.

“We can confirm that this sign has been placed on council land, but we do not currently know who has put it there and we have not received a planning or listed building consent application for it,” they said.

They later said that they had not removed the sign themselves.

The name Knackersknowle means the hill of the knackers yard, a place where old or injured animals are taken to be slaughtered.

In 1860, the area was renamed after a fort was built on a higher piece of land to the northwest of the village, on the site of a building called Crown Hill.