The Ridge Way is one of the oldest roads in England. It enters
Berkshire on the chalk downs above Ashbury at a level of 600 feet
above the sea, and runs in an easterly direction by Wayland Smith's
Cave and Uffington Castle; thence by Hackpen Hill to Letcombe Castle,
along the top of the ridge north of West and East Ilsley. From here,
turning to the right across the little valley on Compton Downs, the
road probably reached the river Thames at Streatley. This old road is
also known as the Icknield Way, and there is another old road named
the Port Way, which follows the valley north of the chalk downs,
running through Ashbury and Wantage. It is marked on the maps as
a Roman road, and probably both roads were in use in Roman times,
though the Ridge Way at least is almost certainly of much older date.
The Roman road from Marlborough to Silchester followed much the same
line as the modern road from Hungerford to Speen near Newbury, but
there does not seem to be any trace of the road from that place to
Silchester. The Roman road from Cirencester to Silchester ran by way
of Baydon and Wickham, joining the Marlborough road at Speen. There
is but little trace of the Roman road from Silchester to Dorchester
in Oxfordshire, but the Silchester and London road is fairly well
marked, and part of it, as we said in a former chapter, is known as
the "Devil's Highway."
In the middle ages the roads were exceedingly bad, and even in the
seventeenth century they were far from satisfactory. Pepys mentions,
in his Diary, June 16th, 1668, that he lost his way driving from
Newbury to Reading. This, it will be observed, was in the summer,
and one would think on a well-known road.
In the eighteenth century the roads were gradually improved, and
towards the end of the century began to be kept in good order for
the coaches, which were also rapidly improving.
In the early part of the nineteenth century two mail coach routes
ran through Berkshire.
The road from London to Gloucester entered Berkshire at Maidenhead
and left the county at Henley. After passing through Oxford it again
entered Berkshire, and ran by Cumnor and Fyfield to Faringdon. From
that place it ran by Buscot Park and crossed the river Isis at St
John's Bridge near Lechlade.
The London and Bath mail route ran through the county by Maidenhead,
Reading, Newbury, and Hungerford.
Besides these mail-coach routes there were several roads in the county
which came under the head of "turnpike roads." The term turnpike
road means a road having toll-gates or bars on it. The toll-gates
were first constructed about the middle of the eighteenth century,
and were called turns, and the turnpike road was one upon which those
who refused to pay toll could be turned back. Turnpike roads are now
practically extinct and a new species of highway called main roads
has taken their place. The cost of repair is borne partly by the
county and partly by the Local Highway Authority.
Canals and Rivers. Canals have to a large extent been superseded by
railways in these days. It is, however, possible that the advent
of cheap motor traction may cause them to revive. The Kennet and
Avon Canal runs from Newbury, and entering Wiltshire near Hungerford
furnishes a waterway from the Thames to the Severn. The navigation of
the river Thames is improved by a number of weirs and locks, most of
which have been re-made in recent times, and if more useful they are
much less picturesque than in former days. The level of the river at
Hambleden weir is just about 100 feet above the sea. The river Kennet
is also provided with a series of weirs and locks. A canal which ran
from Wantage to Abingdon is now disused.
The bridges over the rivers are for the most part modern, but many of
them replace older structures, indeed most of the crossing-places are
very old. The bridge at Abingdon was originally built in the fifteenth
century, and was under the charge of the Guild of the Holy Cross, and
Maidenhead Bridge was the property of a corporation from early days.
Railways. The Great Western Railway enters Berkshire at Maidenhead,
and runs by way of Reading to near Goring, where it crosses the Thames
into Oxfordshire, returning into Berkshire near Moulsford. It then
passes by way of Didcot into Wiltshire, which county is entered a
little before the line reaches Swindon. An important branch of the
Great Western runs from Didcot to Oxford, and another branch of the
same railway from Reading to Newbury, Hungerford, etc. Express trains
to the west of England pass over both the Didcot and the Newbury
line, and in these days they are frequently run from Paddington to
far beyond the Berkshire border without a stop.
The Great Western has branch lines to Windsor, to Cookham for High
Wycombe, to Henley, to Wallingford, to Abingdon, and to Faringdon,
and also a rather important line from Reading to Basingstoke, giving
a communication from Oxford to the south coast. There is also a light
railway with auto-cars running between Newbury and Lambourn which
belongs to the Great Western.
The Didcot, Newbury, and Southampton Railway runs from the first-named
place in a southerly direction, crossing the Reading and Newbury line
at right angles.
The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Company have a branch line
running to Reading. It enters Berkshire near the village of Sandhurst.
The London and South Western Railway have branches to Windsor and
to Wokingham, and from the latter place run trains over the South
Eastern line to Reading.