P 033

P 033

Alresford’s first steam roller - (info Mr Whitlock of Old Alresford. b.1893)

“This picture shows the first County (Council) steam roller that they had in Alresford. It was an Aveling & Porter roller and it was delivered by rail at Alresford station about 1907. All of us lads rushed round to the sidings to watch it being unloaded. I guess this picture was taken soon after that time, while the roller was still a novelty. The roller was kept in the Dean and this picture was probably taken on the hill about a mile and a half out of Alresford on the Winchester road. The driver is probably Billy Andrews. The carters are probably two of Curtis’s lads, but Charlie Young of Alresford also did contract work for the Council. They drew stones off the fields and dumped them beside the road where the roadmen broke them into small chips. Then they carted the chips to wherever the road needed mending and after they had been spread, the two men with brooms brushed in a mud slurry which had been sprinkled with water. This was then rolled in hard to make the road”.

  All images on this site © Godfrey Andrews ALRESFORD HERITAGE