The A303: Highway to the Sun

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The author takes a trip down the road from east to west, reflecting his description of it as the "highway to the sun" - that is, the route which started so many summer holidays in the south-west of England. I thought that Tom Fort had a nice presentation style and visited some interesting but little known places. Tom Fort gives voice to the stories this road has to tell, from the bluestones of Stonehenge to Roman roads and drovers paths, to turnpike tollhouses, mad vicars, wicked Earls and solstice seekers, the history, geography and culture of this road tells a story of an English way of life. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ.

Traveling down the road in an ancient Mini Traveller car from the Sixties, he came across as someone prone to mugging in front of the camera for no apparent reason: what mattered was not so much the sites, but his reaction to them. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. The A303 officially dates back to 1937, when a series of existing roads was rebranded and given this single number. In this fully revised and updated edition, Tom Fort gives voice to the stories this road has to tell, from the bluestones of Stonehenge, Roman roads and drovers paths to turnpike tollhouses, mad vicars, wicked Earls and solstice seekers, the history, geography and culture of this road tells a story of an English way of life.If memory serves, the A303 drops it's end 3 and becomes the A30 from Honiton onwards further South West, the Honiton bypass and the 'new' A30 now are dual carriageway from there on to the M5 Junction at Exeter (near where the Met Office has moved to).

That makes efforts to make the A30-A303 route more consistently numbered less important as the A30 section will be effectively bypassed. Getting to and from each place means descriptions of the road and the history of the road itself in that section. Scandal-lovers will be thrilled by the rape and sodomy charges against the Second Earl of Castlehaven in 1631. His object is to reveal the special beauty of the landscape, particularly Salisbury Plain and Stonehenge (pictured).

But journeys embarked upon full of the joys of the season all too often grind into a standstill of rage and bitterness before Hampshire even gives way to Wiltshire. It was funny to see the 303 compared favourably to the meandering A30, which, as a biker, I'd pick every time.

Be sure to visit the cathedral as it's an amazing building; do the roof and spire tour if you've got time. Photograph: John Holdsworth/BBC A303: Highway to the Sun presenter Tom Fort and his 'ropey old Morris Minor van'. I'm not aware of huge numbers of people getting terminally lost around Newcott because the A30 turns off to the right and they don't. The bit between Bullington Cross (where the A34 and A303 have a junction) about 10 miles from where it disappears into the A3 right down almost to Yeovil at Podimore Cross I know it like the back of my hand. thanks for the great graphics on the cover and the period road map inside, all sets the mood perfectly!There's also political history in the context of road planning and development that goes beyond the A303, as well as other facts and side-shoots of information about wider-ranging subjects. It crammed full of facts and stories about the people and places along this route and often delves into the politics of various government road building policies. Having spent most of my life living and working along various points on the A303, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I could relate to the places described. In an aside, Fort has an unkind word for those who have reintroduced beavers to Scotland, and I will take issue with him over that, should we ever meet.