Transport Heritage

The London-Portsmouth road which largely follows the route of the modern-day A3 is familiar to the thousands of commuters who travel along it each day.

Local historian Jennifer Goldsmith has been researching the history of the road and has unearthed some of the significant events, places and people which made it so important over the years.

As the route linking London with the country's main naval base, the road was obviously at the centre of national events over the centuries.

National events

Back in 1688, the road was the planned dramatic escape route for the Catholic baby son of James II. Prince James was to be smuggled out of the country to escape the forces of Protestant William of Orange who had landed in the West country.

However with many naval ships switching allegiance to William, Portsmouth was no longer safe and the baby was eventually sent back up the road and was evacuated from Gravesend in Kent disguised in a bundle of washing.

Amongst the other famous journeys was that of Admiral Byng - the only Royal Navy admiral to be executed.  He was placed before a firing squad for failing to do his utmost" in a battle which led to a British defeat and the French capturing Minorca.

He received a hostile reception along the road from Greenwich to Portsmouth where he was executed on the deck HMS Monarque' in 1757.

In 1814 there was a spectacular procession down the road as the Duke of Wellingon, Tsar Alexander of Russia and the King of Prussia paraded to celebrate the capture of Napoleon.

Over a century later, the road was a key artery supplying the build-up to the D-Day invasion of Normandy launched from the South Coast.

Risky journeys

Stagecoaches in the 18th century transformed the journey - with the fastest horse-drawn coaches reaching Portsmouth just nine hours after leaving London.

The Red Lion in Petersfield - an old coaching inn

But Jennifer explained, even these journeys weren't easy: "Many people actually wrote their will before setting off on their travels. There was the danger of crime and road accidents, quite apart from the likelihood of getting a severe cold if you were sitting on the outside of the coach."

Infamous highwaymen like Dick Turpin and Jerry Abershaw attacked travellers on the northern section of the road - far from their glamorous reputation, Jennifer explains: "They were pretty ruthless and violent and prayed upon any sort of traveller - not just those with significant wealth."

But there were also 'gibbits' along the length of the road - trees where criminals would be hung from to serve as a deterrent to a life of crime.

Signs of history

Drivers, cyclists and walkers travelling along any part of the road today can still glimpse clues from the past - pubs like the Red Lion in Petersfield and the Anchor at Liphook were originally built as coach houses to accommodate both horses and passengers.

And there are numerous milestones along the road - the pre-cursor to sign posts, telling travellers the distance to their destination.

Responsibility for maintaining the road was originally down to the local parishes, which left small populations with large bills for looking after the stretch of road in their area.

Part of the road today

From the end of the 17th century, groups applied to Parliament to 'turnpike' sections of road - allowing them to charge a toll from travellers.

Although this led to improvements in the road, there were examples of 'Turnpike rage' - a toll collector at Sheet Bridge near Petersfield was stabbed (not fatally) in the arm with a sword by a disgruntled traveller.

The road has changed over the years - it was virtually deserted as soon as the railways were built in the 19th century, until the 1920s and 30s when private cars became the transport of choice.

Despite the changes in the road's route, size, and modes of transport,  many of the familiar landmarks remain.

The view from Portsdown Hill is still as spectacular today as it would have been when early travellers from London caught their first glimpse of the South Coast and journey's end, as Jennifer reflects:

"Coming up the hill from Horndean, the view of Portsmouth Harbour when it was full of ships of the line and Royal Navy fleet, must have been absolutely stunning."

Jennifer Goldsmith is running a WEA 10-week course 'People of the Portsmouth Road' at Emsworth Community Centre from 15 January 2009.  Contact 02392 262477 for more information.