The Harrow Way (also spelled as "Harroway") is another name for the "Old Way", anancient trackway in the south of England, dated by archaeological finds to 600–450 BC, but probably in existence since theStone Age.[1][2] The Old Way ran fromSeaton inDevon toDover,Kent. Later the eastern part of the Harrow Way become known as thePilgrims' Way in the 19th century: the latter was a route invented by Albert Way of theOrdnance Survey, who imagined it (without evidence) to have been apilgrimage route which ran fromWinchester,Hampshire, viaFarnham,Surrey, toCanterburyKent.[3][4] The western section of the Harrow Way ends in Farnham, the eastern in Dover.
The name may derive fromherewag, a military road, orhar, ancient (as in hoary) way, orheargway, the road to the shrine (perhaps Stonehenge).[5] It is sometimes described as the 'oldest road in Britain' and is possibly associated with ancienttin trading.[6]
The eastern part of the Harrow Way (Old Way) from Farnham,Surrey, later known as thePilgrims' Way, runs on or parallel to theNorth Downs Way National trail. The Harrow Way can be traced fromRochester and alternative Channel ports on theStraits of Dover. A principal track also starting in the valley of theGreat Stour fromCanterbury, to lead along theNorth Downs or its southern slopes, throughMaidstone andGuildford toFarnham,Surrey. With its natural season-round well-drained soil, slightly morehumus-rich than the crest itself, forming the most travelled of often severalterraced routes.[7]
The Pilgrims' Way, diverts from the Harrow Way and continues from Farnham toWinchester. Thispilgrimages route helped the growth of Winchester. Winchester, apart from being an ecclesiastical centre in its own right (the shrine ofSt Swithin), was an important regional focus and an aggregation point for travellers arriving through the seaports on the south coast.[7] (SeeEarly British Christianity).
Farnham, was a second aggregation point for travellers joining from the south coast.[7] Gibson reports the section going eastward just north of Farnham ran through the area now Farnham Park and continued its course along the chalk outcrop, crossed the Bagshot Road where the Six Bells pub now stands and continued pastBadshot Lea,Surrey where an important Neolithic Long Barrow burial mound (tumulus) was found. The Harrow Way then continues to the crest of theHog's Back where the ancient trackway is known to have run.[8] There are severalbarrows along the Hog's Back.
The western part of the Old Way, the Harrow Way, can be traced fromFarnham,Surrey west throughBasingstoke andAndover toSalisbury Plain andStonehenge,Wiltshire, throughDorset and on toSeaton on theDevon coast.[6][9] InDorset, the Harrow Way can be traced through the villages ofHalstock andCorscombe, where it is known as Common Lane. At the Halstock end, a short length was realigned to form the access for aRoman villa (which was built on the site of a lateIron Age farmstead).[10]
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