Jolly Farmer
Encyclopedia
The Jolly Farmer is a roundabout
on the A30
(London Road) between Camberley
and Bagshot
in Surrey
, UK
.
Origins of the Jolly Farmer name date to the late 17th century when there was a highwayman
called William Davies who worked on Bagshot Heath and allegedly only took gold
from his victims. His identity was discovered since he was a local farmer who only paid his taxes in gold. A picture of him was painted and hung in the Golden Farmer pub along the London Road. One day however it was remarked that the golden farmer looked more jolly than golden, so the pub changed its name and was henceforth known as the Jolly Farmer.
The roundabout used to be home to a pub
called the Jolly Farmer, which subsequently changed ownership and was re-branded as the Mongolian Barbecue. This has now ceased trading, and fast-food restaurant chain Burger King
made a bid to buy the roundabout. Following a major campaign, the council rejected this offer. Today, the Jolly Farmer roundabout contains the "American Discount Golf Store".
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
on the A30
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
(London Road) between Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
and Bagshot
Bagshot, Surrey
Bagshot is a small town in southeastern England. It is situated in the northwest corner of Surrey within the county's Surrey Heath council district, close to the border with Berkshire, and is also in the diocese of Guildford. In the past Bagshot served as an important staging post between London,...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Origins of the Jolly Farmer name date to the late 17th century when there was a highwayman
Highwayman
A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
called William Davies who worked on Bagshot Heath and allegedly only took gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
from his victims. His identity was discovered since he was a local farmer who only paid his taxes in gold. A picture of him was painted and hung in the Golden Farmer pub along the London Road. One day however it was remarked that the golden farmer looked more jolly than golden, so the pub changed its name and was henceforth known as the Jolly Farmer.
The roundabout used to be home to a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
called the Jolly Farmer, which subsequently changed ownership and was re-branded as the Mongolian Barbecue. This has now ceased trading, and fast-food restaurant chain Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
made a bid to buy the roundabout. Following a major campaign, the council rejected this offer. Today, the Jolly Farmer roundabout contains the "American Discount Golf Store".