The Road to London

THE ROAD TO LONDON

What would you say if I stopped you in the street and asked you the way to London? You’d probably direct me to the roundabout by Tesco’s, tell me to go up the hill along London Road and take the motorway south. But has that always been the road to London? The answer is “no”, as you’ve probably guessed, or this would be a very short article.

From Roman Baldock If I had stopped you in the street in Roman Baldock, you would have advised me to take the most direct route to Londinium, beginning along Clothall Road. In Roman times, about a mile outside Baldock, it continued as a dead straight road through the site of present-day Clothall village, past the foot of Cromer windmill to Braughing. Its course across the fields is shown on Ordnance Survey maps but only the far end still exists as a track. Most of it can only be seen as a crop mark from the air. From Braughing, the Roman traveller took Ermine Street (now the A10) due south to Londinium.

From Medieval Baldock In 1350, the traveller still started out along Clothall Road and still turned right about a mile outside Baldock. However, he followed a Saxon lane which is now a wide grassy track to Hickman’s Hill in Clothall. In 1350, it was called London Way but by 1575, London Bushes Way. It continued to Luffenhall, Walkern and Ware.

The entire route still exists, mostly as a track. Until recently, it was a BOAT path (Byway Open to All Traffic) and wheeled vehicles were allowed to use it. This was because of its historic use as a public road rather than as a footpath or bridleway. In recent years, four wheel drive vehicles caused deep ruts and thick mud that made the path almost unusable for walkers and riders. Consequently, gates were erected and the path was reclassified to exclude wheeled vehicles.

The road as it enters Ware is still called Baldock Street which seems strange today as we would take an entirely different route to Ware. The name commemorates the old route. The Medieval traveller continued down Ermine Street to the City of London.

By 1757, the route from Baldock had become a green lane as judged by its name of Green Highway. Today, some people call it Roman Road but local archaeologists believe it is Saxon in origin.

From Tudor Baldock The Tudor traveller had two more choices. One route was to take Limekiln Lane and its continuation, now a footpath, to join the medieval route beyond Welbury Farm. This junction is still wide and triangular reflecting the room needed for wagons to turn and avoid deep ruts in the road. At that time, Limekiln Lane was called Maltmans Way showing the significant trade in malt from Baldock to Ware for shipment on the River Lea to London. Presumably, the drivers of the heavy malt wagons preferred this shorter route from the town centre maltings. © Written by Baldock Museum and Local History Society and reproduced with the kind permission of the Baldock Mail 2005 Page 1

The Great North Road The alternative route to London for the Tudor traveller was what we call London Road. In 1575 it was described as “the Common Highway from Baldock to Stevenage” suggesting it had been a local route only. However, in 1582, it was called London Highway and in 1633 it was London Way. London was expanding westwards so a more westerly route to the capital was favoured. Also, the old route to London from Ware and Royston, originally known as Ermine Street but later called the Old North Road, was notoriously impassable with mud.

The importance of the new route was confirmed with the establishment of the Turnpike Trust in 1720. The road was known as the Great North Road and passed from Baldock through Gravely, old Stevenage and old Welwyn. Baldock was already becoming prosperous through the malt trade and most of the grand Georgian mansions were built in the 1730s.

As the coaching age began, further prosperity arrived with the traffic on the road. There was increased employment, especially in the inns of the town, and for those in allied trades such as blacksmiths. Baldock was a convenient first stop from London as it is 35 miles which was one day’s journey.

From Victorian Baldock In the 19 th century, the route to London remained the same but the trade on the Great North Road declined due to better transport by river and canal, particularly the Ivel and Ouse from Biggleswade to Kings Lynn and the Lea from Ware to London. The arrival of the railway in 1850 only made matters worse. In addition, the brewing trade lost its preference for the brown malt of Hertfordshire. The demand for malt in places like London declined dramatically and Baldock lost some of its hustle and bustle.

The 20 th Century The age of the motor car brought new trade to Baldock and gave the road a new purpose. It was reclassified as the A1, England’s premier road, but still followed the old route along North Road, Whitehorse Street and High Street. Increasing volumes of traffic lead to the building of the A1 bypass in the 1960s. Today, the building of a second bypass plus the Motorway Service Area with motel just represents the repetition of an age old theme for Baldock – giving the traveller what he wants. The only difference is that, in the 21 st century, the aim is to keep him out of the town!

ABOVE: About a mile outside Baldock on the Clothall Road is a lay-by with a gated entrance to a green lane. This is London Bushes Way, the medieval road from Baldock to London via Ware.

ABOVE: From just inside the gate, the grassy track that was London Bushes Way dips down the hill before rising again to Hickmans Hill in Clothall. In the distance, on the far left, is the modern road to Clothall and Buntingford. Just to its right, hidden in the field, is the Roman road to Braughing and then Colchester or London.

ABOVE: Looking back up London Bushes Way towards the gated entrance on Clothall Road.

ABOVE: Maltmans Way as seen from close to its junction with London Bushes Way. In the distance are Welbury farm and the workings for the A505 bypass which is under construction. This footpath becomes Limekiln Lane as it enters Baldock in the distance.

ABOVE: An AA man directs traffic because King George V is expected to drive through Baldock. Note the sign for the A1 on the side of Raban Court. Also North Road stretching away under the railway bridge and the White Horse pub on the left.

ABOVE: London Road was so quiet in the 1930s that you could saunter along with your dog and your cows without worrying too much about traffic.