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The Bath Road, (A4) from London to Bristol, was a major route west, largely replaced in importance by the M4. Was a coach road, although freight traffic reduced by the opening first of the Kennet and Avon Canal, and later the GWR.
Crawford discussed the differences of route between the Roman road to Bath, and the 'modern' (ie 20th century) Bath Road <1>.
Various categories of monument survive along the 18th century coaching route between London and Bath such as milestones <5> and water pumps, spaced at approximate half mile intervals <6>.
Samuel Pepys travelled by coach from Bath to London in 1668; Celia Fiennes also recorded a journey along the London to Bristol road in the late 17th century. In between these dates, John Ogilby had produced a map of the route <7>.
The first Turnpike Trust in Berkshire was in 1714 for seven miles of the Bath Road from Reading to Theale <8>. Rosevear <12> lists the main Turnpike Trusts of the Bath Road in West Berkshire as Speenhamland to Marlborough, 1726, and Speenhamland to Reading, 1728. The trust expired in 1872.
| <01> | Crawford, O G S. 1953. Archaeology in the Field. p68-73. [Monograph / SWB7827] |
| <02> | Money, W. 1905 & 1972. A Popular History of Newbury (also Walter Money's History of Newbury). p92-4. [Monograph / SWB11278] |
| <03> | Robertson, A S. 1792. Topographical Survey of the Great West Road from London to Bath Vol I. [Unpublished document / SWB13306]
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UwkQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0 (Accessed 25/09/2015) |
| <04> | Roberts, C. 1941. And So To Bath. [Monograph / SWB147351] |
| <05> | The Milestone Society. 2001-Present. Database of Milestones in West Berkshire. General reference. [Digital archive / SWB14453]
http://www.msocrepository.co.uk/ (Accessed 09/10/2019) |
| <06> | Phillips, D. 1983. The Great Road to Bath. [Monograph / SWB147800] |
| <07> | Ogilby, J. 1675. The Road from London to the City of Bristol, from Ogilby's Britannia Atlas. [Map / SWB147802] |
| <08> | Dils, J (ed). 1998. An Historical Atlas of Berkshire. p68-9 The roads of Berkshire by Brian Boulter. [Monograph / SWB13916] |
| <09> | Robertson, A S. 1792. Topographical Survey of the Great West Road from London to Bath Vol II. Illust opp p1. [Unpublished document / SWB148569]
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sgkQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=topographical+survey+of+the+great+road+from+london+to+bath+volume+2&hl=en&sa=X&ei=I1-nUsGYGKOt7QbbhYHgDQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA (Accessed 10/12/2013) |
| <10> | Harper, C G. 1899. The Bath Road - History, Fashion & Frivolity on an Old Highway. [Monograph / SWB148582]
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/37921/37921-h/37921-h.htm (Accessed 03/01/2014) |
| <11> | Berkshire Local History Association. 1989. Berkshire Old and New No 6. 6. The Gough Map and the Bath Road in Berkshire by Judith Hunter. [Article in serial / SWB14434] |
| <12> | Rosevear, A. 2008. Turnpike Roads in England. http://www.turnpikes.org.uk. 26/04/2010. [Website / SWB147831]
http://www.turnpikes.org.uk (Accessed 31/12/2021 using Internet Explorer) |
| <13> | Dils, J and Yates, M (ed). 2012. An Historical Atlas of Berkshire (2nd Edition). p88-89, Berkshire bridges and roads by Alan Rosevear. [Monograph / SWB148708] |
| <14> | Robertson, J G (ed). 1843. Environs of Reading. Google book. p99-100. [Unpublished document / SWB149097]
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7eYGAAAAQAAJ (Accessed 23/08/2016) |
| MWB5951 | A4 BATH ROAD, Beenham to Padworth (Monument) |
| MWB5954 | A4 BATH ROAD, Beenham to Ufton Nervet (Monument) |
| MWB5959 | A4 BATH ROAD, Englefield to Theale (Monument) |
| MWB5968 | A4 BATH ROAD, Holybrook parish to Reading (Monument) |
| MWB5910 | A4 Bath Road, Hungerford (Monument) |
| MWB5917 | A4 Bath Road, Hungerford to Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB5919 | A4 BATH ROAD, Kintbury (Monument) |
| MWB5922 | A4 BATH ROAD, Kintbury (Monument) |
| MWB5924 | A4 BATH ROAD, Kintbury to Welford (Monument) |
| MWB5945 | A4 BATH ROAD, Midgham (Monument) |
| MWB5934 | A4 BATH ROAD, Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB5936 | A4 Bath Road, Newbury to Theale (Monument) |
| MWB5928 | A4 BATH ROAD, Speen (Monument) |
| MWB5930 | A4 BATH ROAD, Speen (Monument) |
| MWB5932 | A4 BATH ROAD, Speen to Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB5956 | A4 BATH ROAD, Sulhamstead to Englefield (Monument) |
| MWB5939 | A4 Bath Road, Thatcham (Monument) |
| MWB5941 | A4 BATH ROAD, Thatcham (Monument) |
| MWB5943 | A4 BATH ROAD, Thatcham (Monument) |
| MWB5962 | A4 Bath Road, Theale to Reading outskirts (Monument) |
| MWB5926 | A4 BATH ROAD, Welford to Speen (Monument) |
| MWB5947 | A4 BATH ROAD, Woolhampton (Monument) |
| MWB5949 | A4 BATH ROAD, Woolhampton to Beenham (Monument) |
| MWB5914 | HUNGERFORD A4 BATH ROAD (Monument) |
| MWB5935 | Milestone - LONDON 55 MILES (Monument) |
| MWB5958 | Pump on Bath Road by Jack's Booth public house (Monument) |
| MWB18081 | Pump on Bath Road, Benham Hill (Monument) |
| MWB5966 | Pump on Bath Road, Calcot Row (Monument) |
| MWB18083 | Pump on Bath Road, east of Bluecoat School (Monument) |
| MWB18084 | Pump on Bath Road, south of Siegecross Farm (Monument) |
| MWB18082 | Pump on Bath Road, west of Thatcham, near Pound Lane (Monument) |
| MWB20988 | Pump on old London to Bath Road, The Green, Theale (Monument) |
| MWB5933 | Site of Milestone - LONDON 56 MILES (Monument) |
| MWB18232 | Site of pump on Bath Road, Thatcham (Monument) |
| MWB5967 | Site of pump on Bath Road, west of Calcot Row (Monument) |
| MWB5970 | Site of Pump, A4 Bath Road, south of Calcot Park (Monument) |
| MWB20987 | Site of The Halfway Garages, Bath Road, Padworth (Monument) |
| MWB15976 | Site of Toll House at Halfway on the Bath Road (The Round House) (Monument) |
| MWB15976 | Site of Toll House at Halfway on the Bath Road (The Round House) (Monument) |
| MWB3382 | CHARNHAM STREET, Hungerford (Place) |
| MWB5033 | HUNGERFORD - Post medieval (Monument) |
| MWB3424 | NEWBURY (Monument) |
| MWB5541 | Site of Mac's Café, Bath Road, Padworth (Monument) |
| MWB20761 | Site of Murdoch's (formerly The Travellers' Friend), Calcot Row (Monument) |
| MWB20460 | Site of the Hare and Hounds, Bath Road, Beenham (Monument) |
| MWB18256 | Site of The White Hart Inn, Theale (Monument) |
| MWB15976 | Site of Toll House at Halfway on the Bath Road (The Round House) (Monument) |
| MWB15976 | Site of Toll House at Halfway on the Bath Road (The Round House) (Monument) |
| MWB19668 | Site of Turnpike Cottages at Henwick, Thatcham (Monument) |
| MWB3535 | THATCHAM (Monument) |
| MWB20680 | The Coach & Horses, Midgham (Building) |
| MWB18119 | The Hare and Hounds Inn, Speen (Building) |
| MWB20783 | The Rising Sun, Woolhampton (Building) |
| MWB20751 | The Spring Inn, Bath Road, Sulhamstead (formerly Three Kings Jack's Booth public house) (Building) |
| MWB3725 | THEALE VILLAGE (Place) |
| MWB5285 | WOOLHAMPTON VILLAGE (Monument) |