TURNPIKE ROAD - BROMLEY AND FARNBOROUGH

The increasing usage of the turnpike road led to efforts to improve it, starting in the1830s, involving several changes in the route taken through the surrounding countryside. These are described in the remaining pages in this section of the website.

But there were also some detailed changes proposed to make passage easier through the towns along the way. These involved realignment of roads and even the demolishing of some buildings. There were proposals involving both Bromley and Farnborough, the former was approved and applied, the latter was not.

Bromley 1829

In 1829 an act was approved to carry out changes in the middle of Bromley. The objective was to widen and straighten the route to make passage easier. The alterations can be seen in this plan, which reflects the road pattern around Market Square still evident today

Several buildings were demolished and others altered. Today's shops are of later construction, although they respect the same road alignments..

Farnborough 1850s

Much later a similar change was proposed and approved to the route through Farnborough Village, again presumably to make passage easier for the coaches.

The plan above shows the proposed new alignment of the road past the rear of the New Inn (now the Change of Horses pub), which is known to have had extensive stabling for horses being used on the turnpike.

This second change was of course never carried out.

Click on images to enlarge