A287

Route

The A287 is a rural A-road to the southwest of London.

Haslemere – Hook

A287 westbound before Odiham Junction

Heading towards Haslemere on the A286 the A287 starts at a left fork just after entering Surrey; the angle of the junction is very sharp and so traffic heading to/from Haslemere itself should use a link road slightly further north; although this is marked on most maps as being a spur of the A287 signage on the ground is very unhelpful – in fact the B2131 should be used instead for this movement.

Continuing northwest there is a turning on the left almost immediately for a branch of the B2131. We go under the main South West Trains line to Portsmouth, Southampton, etc. and the Wey Hill area of Haslemere is entered. There is a light-controlled-crossroads with the main route for the B2131 and shortly thereafter a t-junction and TOTSO is reached. The right turn is an unclassified link to the B2131 towards the older part of Haslemere so a left turn is necessary.

The road then follows the verdant Nutcombe valley before leaving the valley floor and climbing up towards Hindhead. At this point the road is over 800 feet above sea level. It used to cross the A3 at the notorious Hindhead traffic lights but the A3 was diverted through the Hindhead Tunnels in July 2011 and the A287 now just goes over the top. The crossroads still exists although the layout is now a double mini-roundabout. The right turn now only leads to the National Trust car park whilst the left turn is the old A3, renumbered as A333. To continue ahead on the A287 it's left then right.

Once Hindhead is left behind, the road descends slowly and the woods resume on the left in the form of the National Trust-owned Golden Valley. On the right is the leafy settlement of Beacon Hill. This village ends and gives way to Hindhead Golf Course. The road reaches the village of Churt which will not delay any driver much. Further woods are passed and then it crosses Frensham Heath. Frensham Great Pond which is a large sailing and watersports venue is on the left.

Presently the suburbs of Farnham are reached. There is a traffic-light-controlled crossroads and the B3384 leaves on the left. The A31 is crossed on a high and sloping bridge without a junction and then the road reaches central Farnham, which would be lovely were it not for the traffic. A one-way system is here so turn left at Downing Street and then bear right. Turn right at a signal into West Street, then turn left and strike off to the North, skirting Farnham Castle on the right. A T-junction is reached at a traffic light in Upper Hale and a left turn is necessary to continue. Right is the A3016.

The remainder of the road provides a relatively fast route to the M3 and beyond. Traffic tends to keep to the NSL. There are a few junctions. First is a roundabout with the right turn being the B3013. After this the road starts to descend gently and there is a good vista over the Hampshire countryside. There is a short D2 section suitable to overtake perhaps one car and presently another roundabout for a left turn to the village of Odiham, which marks the original route of the A287. We go along the Odiham bypass and there is another short dual carriageway where the right lane is marked for a right turn onto the B3016. It's back to single carriageway and then there is another roundabout junction with the road back from Odiham, the B3349 (former A32). We bear right and another dual carriageway takes us to the M3 at Junction 5 which is a signalised roundabout junction. The A287 on the other side of the M3 is also dual carriageway which stops just before the end of the road which is at a signalised crossroads on the A30 to the West of Hook.

History

Between 1926 and 1935, the westernmost section of the A287 (from the then-A32 (now B3349) to the A30) was numbered the A3062, despite the fact that this section of road was the A287 to begin with.

The Odiham Bypass was officially opened on 15 April 1981.