Military Road (The)
The Military Road runs along the coast between Chale and Freshwater Bay was built for the military in the 1860's as part of the defence of the Island. The contractor was Mr. John Coker of Romsey Hampshire and the road was lined on both sides by iron posts with wire strands between (supplied by Messrs. Morton and Co.,of Liverpool).[1] It enabled troops to move from their barracks at Freshwater along the south west coastline.
Early in 1866 the new road was offered to the Isle of Wight Highway Commissioners for them to take charge and maintain; the Commissioners responded that they would only take responsibility as required by the law.[2] Later the Secretary of War wrote to the Commissioners threatening to close the road unless they took responsibly for it - the Commissioners insisted that the road was of no benefit to the inhabitants, so again declined to take it on[3], and the road was closed for public use.
For many years it remained closed to the general public with gates at Afton Road (in the west) and at Whale Chine (in the east) plus others in between. However, pedestrians and cyclists did use it, but had to climb gates and other barriers, and tolerate the poor surface. The road was used on occasions by the Brooke Lifeboat to convey it on its carriage to Compton Chine when that gave them an advantage over launching from the Brooke station.[4]
In 1930 the Isle of Wight County Council announced they intention to acquire the road from the War Office and the Seely Estate.
Reconstruction of the road at public expense commenced in the early 1930's, the final section was opened to the public in 1936[5].
There has been ongoing engineering work to maintain the road as in some areas it is very near the eroding coastline.
- ↑ Isle of Wight Observer, 17 December 1864, "Yarmouth - The new Government Road"
- ↑ Isle of Wight Observer, 28 April 1866, page 3, report of Highway Commissioner
- ↑ Isle of Wight Times, 27 June 1866, page 3, report of the Highway Commissioners.
- ↑ Isle of Wight Observer, 7 November 1868, page 4, Brooke, Lifeboat
- ↑ Isle of Wight County Press, 28 March 1936, page 10, The Island's New Coastal Drive,
