The old road


I had forgotten about road signs like this until we came across this one on our Borders walk. All of a sudden I was hurtled back to my childhood. Black and white striped signposts, empty roads, cars with 'trafficators' which flapped up from the doorpost to indicate turning. I read on Wikipedia that these 'have become increasingly rare since the 1950s'. I'm not THAT old - this was in the 1960s, but things moved slowly in north east Scotland. One of my earliest memories is of lying in bed looking out of the window on a winter's night, across to the village of Craigellachie under a starry sky. Car headlights came slowly down the road towards the station, and I remember my surprise at the unusual sight of these twin moving stars. I must have been about 4 years old.

For part of our walk we were on the old road between Melrose and the village of Eildon. It seemed to have become a private road between farms. Very gradually, the verges were creeping over the tarred surface.



The Romans had forts in this area for about 100 years, until they withdrew south to Hadrian's Wall in about 180 AD. Their military roads must have seen the same slow encroachment of leaves and beechmast.

Comments

  1. Linda, your stories always sound so exotic to me as I visual what you are describing. I love (love) hearing about your world! Thanks!

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  2. ah, there's nothing like a good B route on a sunny day. when in Scotland, we love to find some of those back roads with hardly a car in sight.

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  3. Thanks so much for these. I can remember these "old days", too.

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  4. Thank you for letting us tag along on your lovely walk!!

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  5. ooo...I just love seeing these photos of country roads in your country. It satisfies a bit of my curiosity about faraway places. I am always wondering what is just past that bend...

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  6. Although I've never been to Scotland, that road reminds me of the roads in the English countryside that I visited when growing up. There's a unique beauty to the British Isles that's unlike anywhere else I've seen. Thanks for the great photos and memories!

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  7. What a great story about your thinking headlights were moving double stars!

    No sign of the Romans in Montreal, but there is an old abandoned road between where I work and the school next door that I love to walk on because it's so quiet and canopied by trees :o)

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  8. I just found your blog and am very happy I did. The old road you featured in the third photo looks very much like the road where my parents live. Only it's in northwest Georgia, USA.

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  9. Dragonfly Dreams, sometimes my world seems very ordinary to me, but this sign post did stand out as being exotic with age!

    Journeys to Scotland, there's a certain romance to B roads. I much prefer them to A roads.

    Ron, I think we'll agree that these days aren't really so old.

    Linda, you're welcome to tag along virtually. At least your boots (and waterproof trousers) didn't get muddy.

    Breezy Point Mom, I am still wondering about what lies down that road (apart from Melrose at the end of it, obviously). We took a different route at that point, so we'll have to go back to explore further.

    Al, glad to have stirred your memories of growing up.

    Happyone, glad you liked my stripey sign post.

    Karine, your quiet road beside your workplace must be a lovely escape in the middle of the city.

    Ellen, thanks for visiting. I've only been to California and Washington State, so now I'm trying to picture a bit of Scotland transplanted to northwest Georgia!

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  10. Nice memories Linda. I remember those signposts all over the place - some had the pointing hand too! Great photos - so evocative and I am transported straight into thebhrart of The Borders. xx

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  11. Ahhh I do like the old black and white signs and black and white check painted on walls. The modern chevrons, grey steel signpostss and steel bars along bridges are so soul-less.

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  12. Nice pictures and a great story to tell here.

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  13. Jacqui, I remember the pointing hand! I am now on a mission to find one.

    Foody, I agree, the modern chevrons and the like have no style.

    Nordis, thanks for your comment. I hope you're enjoying even more sunshine now.

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  14. That looks like it was a beautiful walk. I will look at the verges of country roads more carefully from now on! I like what you say about the Roman roads as well. It's making me think about the history of roads in general, and even streets...

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  15. I really like the gentle curves that you have there. We have to be straight and perpendicular one to another. It is nice to take the winding path once in a while.

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