B379

The B379 is a defunct road north of Staines.

The original route of the B379

Originally the road started on the A30 on the east edge of Staines and headed north alongside the Staines Reservoirs before bearing right into Stanwell, where it met the B378. It continued northeastwards through green fertile countryside as Oaks Road and crossed the Duke of Northumberland's River, and at Perry Oaks farm it became Heathrow Road and ran through the village of Heathrow (which had at least 9 listed buildings) and ended on the A4 at the east end of the Three Magpies pub nearly opposite the junction with Sipson Road. An old very large scale map shows that at Heathrow Hall farm's house gate, Heathrow Road made a sharp 35-degree angle.

The mention of "Heathrow" in the previous paragraph should have alarm bells ringing. The Great West Aerodrome opened in 1929 southeast of the village and later enlarged to about 240 acres (97 ha). In 1944 Heathrow village and much land around were requisitioned and work began on converting it into London Airport. The B379 between Stanwell and the Three Magpies was lost under the runways and terminals. The B379 was rerouted along the western perimeter of the airport as Stanwellmoor Road to end in Longford; the old B379 through Stanwell became an extension of the B378, which it remains.

The former B379 in Stanwell

The original route of the B379 can still be followed from Stanwell as Oaks Road as far as the Southern Perimeter Road. From there it ran through the west corner of the cargo terminal, across the south runway and its taxiways, and more-or-less eastwards through the south corner of Terminal 3. It skirted the south edge of the Inner Ring and headed northeast through Terminal 1 before reaching the A4 just to the west of the A408 Sipson Road.

Owing to the increased importance of Heathrow Airport the B379 is no more, having been upgraded to Class I status and heavily improved. Its number is now A3044.

See this map and its notes for information about unclassified country lanes that existed until 1944 in and around Heathrow village. The junctions where Cain's Lane and High Tree Lane met Heathrow Road were large triangles with grass inside.

Links

• Google Earth view in Stanwell looking along the west stump of Oaks Road (old B379)
• Google Earth view of the Three Magpies pub's east car park entry. Until 1944 it was the north end of the B379 (Heathrow Road).
• 1930's and modern maps of Heathrow area overlaid; has slider to adjust mixture proportion.