Thanks for pointing out the 1766 stretch, I’m always interested in how the roads developed.
For the benefit of those who would like to see what Bramham Crossroads (junction of A1 and A64)
looked like in 1912 here is a picture I found on the Leodis site. The viewpoint is looking north across
what was to become the A1/A64. The buildings on the right are still there, and the modern road is
fairly well to the left off scene. The old road as seen here is in use as a farm access road.
I hope you don’t mind me posting it Lonewolf but it was a good excuse for uploading my first pic.
Hi Wolfie, it’s many a year that I have travelled up or down the A1, it was always one of my favourite roads and hopefully somebody will be able to help me with this query.
Somewhere near the Brampton or Alconbury area on the northbound lane there was an old stone monument set back in the field and every time that I passed it over the years I thought one day I shall stop and see what it’s for. About twenty years later I pulled into a layby which was about a quarter of a mile further on and I decided to walk back and have a look. It appears that during the Napolionic Wars there was a French prisoner of war camp on that site and if somebody can tell me exactly where it is I might be able to do a Google and find out something more about it.
Regards Steve.
B.T.W. has anybody ever bothered to count just how many old airfields are within seeing distance of the A1, it you follow this Great Road on Google Earth you might be surprised just how many there are .
mushroomman:
Hi Wolfie, it’s many a year that I have travelled up or down the A1, it was always one of my favourite roads and hopefully somebody will be able to help me with this query.
Somewhere near the Brampton or Alconbury area on the northbound lane there was an old stone monument set back in the field and every time that I passed it over the years I thought one day I shall stop and see what it’s for. About twenty years later I pulled into a layby which was about a quarter of a mile further on and I decided to walk back and have a look. It appears that during the Napolionic Wars there was a French prisoner of war camp on that site and if somebody can tell me exactly where it is I might be able to do a Google and find out something more about it.
Regards Steve.
B.T.W. has anybody ever bothered to count just how many old airfields are within seeing distance of the A1, it you follow this Great Road on Google Earth you might be surprised just how many there are .
I think Time Team did a prog on that last year, very interesting too.
The monument is a bronze eagle on a pillar and commemorates the dead from a nearby POW camp during the Napoleonic wars. It was removed for a while after the eagle was stolen. It stood a couple of hundred yards north of Norman Cross roundabout on the northbound side.
After the junction was upgraded it was moved. The eagle was replaced and it now stands in a layby on the A15 just off the A1.
kip:
There is a great film on you tube “the great north road 1939” sorry can’t do links
There you go. Funnily enough I watched that just last weekend. I like the way they just parked at the side of the road regardless when ever they wanted to shoot some film, I don’t think you would get away with that these days.
When that film was shot You Tube was just an insult.
There you go. Funnily enough I watched that just last weekend. I like the way they just parked at the side of the road regardless when ever they wanted to shoot some film, I don’t think you would get away with that these days.
When that film was shot You Tube was just an insult.
axletramp:
Thanks for pointing out the 1766 stretch, I’m always interested in how the roads developed.
For the benefit of those who would like to see what Bramham Crossroads (junction of A1 and A64)
looked like in 1912 here is a picture I found on the Leodis site. The viewpoint is looking north across
what was to become the A1/A64. The buildings on the right are still there, and the modern road is
fairly well to the left off scene. The old road as seen here is in use as a farm access road.
I hope you don’t mind me posting it Lonewolf but it was a good excuse for uploading my first pic.
Wel living where I do & have a lot of my life which is near the A1 ( North East ) have driven it many times but also been driven by my dad as a kid going through Gosforth High Street with the traffic lights ( that is still very much the same ) or going through Felton at the bottom that “nice little bend” the up the hill at the other side
The single track all the way from Newcastle then Washington via Morpeth to Seahouses
Also riding the bikes up into Northumberland on the A1 & a flat bed overtaking me & came in a bit soon ( I nearly went under his back wheel if hadnt moved into side of road pos would have been under it )
Sorry dont have any pics but can probably take some of Gosforth High Street as it not really changed
axletramp:
Thanks for pointing out the 1766 stretch, I’m always interested in how the roads developed.
For the benefit of those who would like to see what Bramham Crossroads (junction of A1 and A64)
looked like in 1912 here is a picture I found on the Leodis site. The viewpoint is looking north across
what was to become the A1/A64. The buildings on the right are still there, and the modern road is
fairly well to the left off scene. The old road as seen here is in use as a farm access road.
I hope you don’t mind me posting it Lonewolf but it was a good excuse for uploading my first pic.
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A couple of miles north on the A1 on the south side of Bramham is where i grew up. think we moved there in 1953 when i was five, the A1 was a single carriageway going through the village. Our house was as close to it as this one in the picture and in our pre-telly days would spend hours sitting on the garden wall watching all the traffic follow a lorry grinding it’s way up the little hill comeing out of the village.
I actually lived in a house at Bowcliffe Hall which was owned by the Blackburn the aircraft builder the sold to Hargreaves the coal firm. The Bramham by-pass went in between us and the village which meant a quick sprint across the dual-carriageway which kept us fit
1947-50 we lived in the school house at Ferrybridge .The school buildings are still there,now small industrial units on the left hand side as you drive Northbound after the services slip.The road used the old bridge,many an accident involving south bound traffic coming down from Brotherton and overshooting the corner.We used to cycle to Wentbridge to swim in the river,and enjoy first puff of Players or Woodbines under the bridge or to Wetherby,more swimming.On the left between Ferrybridge and Wentbridge were giant hangars where aero engines were tested.
Ian Allan published BRS spotter books with the depot codes,the schoolyard was an ideal spotters place and really started my interest in road haulage.
We had a car(grandfathers Jowett8) and each year would drive to St Andrews to visit Mother’s family.What an adventure,A1 all way to Edinburgh(and Thurso!!!) through all towns and villages,Wide Open andv Pity Me stick in the mind.Leave plenty time to catch the ferry over the Forth!!!
The Great North Road through Doncaster follows roughly the ‘Roman Ridge’ route,you can see it on modern maps as Roman Road.Traveling north at the junction of the A1 /A639 Barnsdale Bar you can see part of the Ridge just before the turn off.The ridge then goes up through Pontefract to Castleford and then Aberford crossroads,I could be wrong but is it part of The lower reaches of Dere Street that runs up from Barton through Piercebridge onto The A68 and Corbridge. The forest of Barnsdale,you can see it on your right going north at Barnsdale Bar, was where Robin Hood hung out.The bridge in Wentbridge has a plaque to Little John fixed to it.
hi lads, great north road, they was 24 transport cafe’s on the A1 between Newcastle and doncaster, traffic lights where at catterick and dishforth airfields, bumper
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