A31 Guildford to Winchester - Were There Bigger Plans?

[Chris5156]

I use this route several times a year, I remember the widening which took place in the 2000s from memory. Always seemed strange why the bridge was narrower than the quality of road either side.

It’s older, is the simple reason. The bypass was originally single carriageway; when it was dualled the bridge wasn’t removed so the road had to narrow back to single carriageway to fit underneath.

I never knew that, I thought the sections either side were always dual. I probably first encountered this section of road as a child at some point in the late 70s or early 80s and can never remember the section around Farnham not being dualled. It must have been single carriageway for quite a short period?

The sections of dualling I do remember being constructed were the Bentley Bypass and dualling associated with the works on the A331 from the S&F roundabout to the Hogs Back along with the single carriageway bypass of Alresford.

SABRE Maps OS One Inch coverage shows single carriageway throughout in 1965 and the two ends of the bypass dualled by 1971 - though it looks like that wasn’t quite the full extent of the dualling that exists today.

[Fluid Dynamics]

[quote="Fluid Dynamics" post_id=<a href="tel:1340467">1340467</a> time=<a href="tel:1716408819">1716408819</a> user_id=259]
[quote=Chris5156 post_id=<a href="tel:1340459">1340459</a> time=<a href="tel:1716407455">1716407455</a> user_id=13]
[quote="Fluid Dynamics" post_id=<a href="tel:1340369">1340369</a> time=<a href="tel:1716389798">1716389798</a> user_id=259]I use this route several times a year, I remember the widening which took place in the 2000s from memory. Always seemed strange why the bridge was narrower than the quality of road either side.

It’s older, is the simple reason. The bypass was originally single carriageway; when it was dualled the bridge wasn’t removed so the road had to narrow back to single carriageway to fit underneath.

[/quote]

I never knew that, I thought the sections either side were always dual. I probably first encountered this section of road as a child at some point in the late 70s or early 80s and can never remember the section around Farnham not being dualled. It must have been single carriageway for quite a short period?

The sections of dualling I do remember being constructed were the Bentley Bypass and dualling associated with the works on the A331 from the S&F roundabout to the Hogs Back along with the single carriageway bypass of Alresford.
[/quote]

SABRE Maps OS One Inch coverage shows single carriageway throughout in 1965 and the two ends of the bypass dualled by 1971 - though it looks like that wasn’t quite the full extent of the dualling that exists today.
[/quote]

Thanks for that, you are quite correct and 1960 shows a similar layout. 1950 shows the A31 approaches as far as the junctions on either side of the bridge, with a gap in the A road with what looks like the proposed road in between. Strange the bridge looks much more recent than the 50s to me.

[Chris5156]

Thanks for that, you are quite correct and 1960 shows a similar layout. 1950 shows the A31 approaches as far as the junctions on either side of the bridge, with a gap in the A road with what looks like the proposed road in between. Strange the bridge looks much more recent than the 50s to me.

I understand the bypass was started just before the war, and construction was halted when hostilities broke out. But the A31 was used for military transport so the bypass was partially completed for military use, I think by Canadian troops. They built only the parts necessary to get traffic past the town centre, which meant the two lengths either side, using an existing street in the middle to join them up.

If you look at Red Lion Lane and Abbey Street they’re totally unsuitable for through traffic. It must have been awful when they were effectively part of the bypass.

[Fluid Dynamics]

Thanks Chris, I never knew that, really interesting background information as always.

[Ritchie333]

Was the whole of the A31 an old coaching road or just from Farnham onwards?

Just Farnham, with the coaching route splitting from the now A30 at the Jolly Farmer and following the A325. I've just tried to find the original source online where I read this, but I think it's long since disappeared.

[Vierwielen]

Was the whole of the A31 an old coaching road or just from Farnham onwards?

Just Farnham, with the coaching route splitting from the now A30 at the Jolly Farmer and following the A325. I've just tried to find the original source online where I read this, but I think it's long since disappeared.

If the Jolly Farmer has been renamed "American Golf", then your explanation looks reasonable. I tracked the possible route on this site and the only possible route is past what is now Fromley Hospital, 100 metres to the east of Farnborough Station and along the current A325 past St Johns Church in Hale and then into Farnham.

[Micro The Maniac]

Was the whole of the A31 an old coaching road or just from Farnham onwards?

I'd be surprised if the Guildford-Farnham section (of Guildford-Winchester) was not a coaching route

[Vierwielen]

Was the whole of the A31 an old coaching road or just from Farnham onwards?

I'd be surprised if the Guildford-Farnham section (of Guildford-Winchester) was not a coaching route

It was, but was, but the Bagshot-Farnham sector was part of the London-Southampton route wheras the Guildford-Farnham (which invovled climbing to the top of the Hogs Back) was a offshoot from the London-Portsmouth route.