Newbury bypass
 

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"Trees were here" graffiti on road sign near Middle Oak

    

 

 

Ten years ago (9 January 1996) construction work started the Newbury bypass.

I joined in a reunion yesterday (7 January 2006)
having supported some of the protesters by delivering food
(luxuries more than necessities — on the principle that luxury is a necessity sometimes)
during the campaign that stopped the Tory road building project

Sadly, of course, Blair (Thatcher's true heir) is restarting that project

Here are some of my photos of the event.

Middle Oak was reprieved when 10,000 other trees were cut down along the route of what is now Newbury's western bypass.

 

 
 
Middle Oak and remaining woodland near the bypass
  
 
 
Middle Oak
 
 
a small part of the reunion beneath the oak
  

 

 
 
media arrive
   
 
burning Middle Oak's fallen wood and planting a new tree nearby
   
 
the bypass and the A4 bridge by Middle Oak — on a cold wet weekend
     
 
 
leaving Middle Oak
  
 
 
wetlands of the Pang bourne by the bypass
 
 
Candle lit vigil at Donnington Castle,
overlooking Newbury
Newbury.net also have a set of photos of the castle - but none of the bypass protestors (who regularly met here) even though many were locals ... why is that?

 

   
 
Piper at dusk
 
 
Lament — and indictment of a country that commits wanton destruction

For more (perhaps better) photos - and some discussion, click here

  Click here for The Third Battle of Newbury archive of material about the Newbury bypass and the various challenges to it.
   
  For news and views (and resources and photo galleries) about current anti-roads actions and campaigns in the UK click here for Road Block's site, or here for Road Alert's site.

     
   
  Since some of the folk involved were also at Jesmond Dene and Twyford Down and elsewhere, and because I played a small role in supporting them, I thought I'd add links to sites about them too. A BBC poll of the nation's "favourite spiritual places" (an odd idea, but you have to love eccentricity) includes Twyford Down in its "top ten" and it includes photos of the protest / action.  
     
  And then there's Earth First!'s Dead Trees online publishing ... with more incitement to participate