The Air Balloon is being demolished to make way for a new road junction, I wish it had happened 40 years ago, it was a pita climbing Birdlip at 7 mph in a loaded trannie and then slowing down for the bend. The good old days.
I broke down in lane one after the big climb and reached the give way line of the roundabout, it was a Sunday lunchtime and I thought traffic was coping quite well until the police arrived an hour later and advised me otherwise.
WaggerWagger888:
The Air Balloon is being demolished to make way for a new road junction, I wish it had happened 40 years ago, it was a pita climbing Birdlip at 7 mph in a loaded trannie and then slowing down for the bend. The good old days.
Another cultural landmark (Rod Stewart and the Faces did an early career gig there early 70’s donchaknow 
?)… erased in the interests of the all conquering moving of ■■■■ from A to B… All hail the march of a relentless,characterless,featureless,sterile dystopic landscape to complement the current identikit Persimmonisation of those overpriced Barret/barrack-block monstrosities;infesting our precious landscapes hither and yon.There’s no future in the future,a return to the world of Jack Hargreaves England of yore has distinctly more appeal these days.A little challenging though it could be occasionally l see no good reason to level the ■■■■■■■ place 
^^^ Nice one. 
manalishi:
A little challenging though it could be occasionally l see no good reason to level the [zb] place
It was quite possibly losing money and on the verge of closing anyway. It is exactly the type of licensed premises which has been hardest hit by the downturn in the pub trade.
There used to be a farm machinery dealer halfway up the hill on the right-hand side.
I had a few hairy moments there stopped in the outside lane loaded with tractors indicating right, waiting for a gap in the traffic descending the hill, waiting for the cars to plough into the back of the trailer.
Didn’t the road once run behind the Air Balloon, early 80s, or have I dreamt it.
I seem to remember looking out over the countryside at the top of the hill,.great view.
I agree with manalishi btw…I think.
Darkside:
There used to be a farm machinery dealer halfway up the hill on the right-hand side.I had a few hairy moments there stopped in the outside lane loaded with tractors indicating right, waiting for a gap in the traffic descending the hill, waiting for the cars to plough into the back of the trailer.
There used to be a cafe on that section of the hill as well.
Not really understanding the need to demolish the pub for road improvements. What are they planning to do? There is a roundabout already there.
robroy:
Didn’t the road once run behind the Air Balloon, early 80s, or have I dreamt it.
I seem to remember looking out over the countryside at the top of the hill,.great view.I agree with manalishi btw…I think.
Going back many years from Cirencester you would pass the George pub in Birdlip and drop down the hill to the 12 bells at the bottom.
Suedehead:
Darkside:
There used to be a farm machinery dealer halfway up the hill on the right-hand side.I had a few hairy moments there stopped in the outside lane loaded with tractors indicating right, waiting for a gap in the traffic descending the hill, waiting for the cars to plough into the back of the trailer.
There used to be a cafe on that section of the hill as well.
Not really understanding the need to demolish the pub for road improvements. What are they planning to do? There is a roundabout already there.
At some point it will be dual all the way from M4 to m5, just that section to finish.
wiltshirelive.co.uk/whats-o … ld-7833155
230 years of history gone, because of some bright idea from a prick in an office. 
manalishi:
WaggerWagger888:
The Air Balloon is being demolished to make way for a new road junction, I wish it had happened 40 years ago, it was a pita climbing Birdlip at 7 mph in a loaded trannie and then slowing down for the bend. The good old days.Another cultural landmark (Rod Stewart and the Faces did an early career gig there early 70’s donchaknow
To add to the cultural landmarks now gone, Ram Jam Inn on A1 is now a pile of rubble. Wonder what they will replace it with?
There has been talk of dualling the “missing link” for years.
To get back to the 230 years old thing…
Maybe if someone dug deep.enough it may even be a listed building. 
robroy:
To get back to the 230 years old thing…
Maybe if someone dug deep.enough it may even be a listed building.
yeah listed for demolition 
Why they making it a dual carriageway way anyway.
Granted I haven’t used it for 3 years now due to job change.
But used to go. That way every week for years with my last job
Once got up the hill past the roundabout traffic was never that bad.
Once been done what’s it going to do save maybe 5 mins.
Total waste of money and resources if you ask me.
Be better all round if they just built the tunnel from Glossop to Sheffield like they’ve been proposing on and.off for ever.
O wait sorry that’s classed as the north so we don’t get priority my mistake.
robroy:
To get back to the 230 years old thing…
Maybe if someone dug deep.enough it may even be a listed building.
230 years old?
That`s listed as a “new build” in Gov housing claims.
The Air Balloon was always a nice place to eat on the few times I have been there, but it is in the middle of nowhere realistically. I imagine a compulsory purchase order is more profitable at the moment than trying to run the business post Covid.
As a daily user of Birdlip hill for commuting, plus generally twice a week in the truck, I consider that to be one of the most dangerous sections of A-road I have experienced. Traffic doing 60mph plus in each direction with no separation, vast variety of speeds on the two-lane uphill section, many last minute lane changes due to curvature of the road and poor observation.
I am very surprised there are not more serious head-on collisions. Collision and camera map | Highways suggests that there have been 4 fatal and 3 serious RTCs in the last 5 years - not sure how ‘normal’ this is for an A-road, but seems high to me. A dual carriageway would be a great improvement.
I was caught in the closure last week, luckily in the car so could turn round and find an alternate route. Lots of our fellow drivers stuck in that one unfortunately.
Martin.
Suedehead:
Not really understanding the need to demolish the pub for road improvements. What are they planning to do? There is a roundabout already there.
Having seen the geography of the area I find it difficult to understand how they can improve the junction. They need to address the problem of bottleneck single carriageway between the Cowley roundabout and birdlip running past the Golden heart pub and Birdlip. Also the stretch of the A436 where it comes down to the Air balloon. Because as soon as Gloucestershire council starts any work on the A429 stow road south of Northleach towards Cirencester, all the traffic from that diverts to the air balloon causing chaos. Don’t get me started on the reasons why Gloucestershire CC close both the A429 and the A417 air Balloon at the same time at night 8pm-6am causing chaos
230 years of history gone, because of some bright idea from a prick in an office.
‘Artist’s-impression’ indeed.Hieronymus Bosch would be my guess.