Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion have been the face of the most recent environmental campaigns.

But one of the first large scale environmental protests can be found in the heart of Hampshire.

The construction of the M3 began in 1968 and was finally completed in 1995.


The 59-mile long road runs from Sunbury-on-Thames to Southampton.

The Winchester bypass through Twyford Downs was the most controversial section to be built after a series of protests in the 1990s.

A group of 15 to 20 youths, who called themselves the Dongas, tried to stop government plans to carve into Twyford Down.

Why was it so controversial?

Twyford Down is an area of chalk downland to the southeast of Winchester, next to St. Catherine's hill.

There had been plans since the 1970s to replace the 1930s Winchester bypass which was regularly congested.

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Due to a lack of space, it was decided the new motorway would go over the down in a cutting.

The new road would reduce travel time to London from Southampton by three minutes.

However, Twyford Down was one of Britain's most ancient, protected landscapes.

The construction threatened to destroy two Sites of Special Scientific Interest, two Scheduled Ancient Monuments & an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It was a rich ecological site, and was one of the few habitats you could find the Chakhill Blue Butterfly and six species of orchid.

People also feared the new motorway would increase noise, expose ugly chalk wedges, and increase pollution.

What happened?

The Twyford Down Association (TDA) was formally constituted in 1991 for the specific purpose to fight the proposed M3 project.

Their main request was to build the road underneath the site to preserve the natural habitat, but that option was deemed too expensive.

Twyford Down memorial stone
It reads "This land was ravaged by..." and then lists various parties involved in forcing the M3 through Twyford Down in an ugly disruptive cutting, up to and including the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Twyford Down memorial stone in 1999. It reads "This land was ravaged by..." and then lists various parties involved in the M3 construction

TDA proposed that a tunnel be built underneath the important site to protect it but the DoT determined that this was far more costly.

Friends of the Earth was then invited to the area to help challenge the project and in February 1992 several protestors occupied a bridge that was going to be demolished

They set up a protest camp and set up banners and chains around the site.

The group that set up camp to prevent the construction called themselves the Dongas Tribe.

They used Celtic symbols and earth-based spirituality to tie itself to a global struggle against the ecological destruction of indigenous people and their lands.

During the protests against the M3 extension, they would cast spells and use incantations to protect the landscape.

By early summer it was reported that hundreds of people would join protestors at the weekend.

School children and adults alike joined the rallies and protests against the motorway extension.

However, after delaying construction with direct action it would be a violent eviction in December 1992 would be remembered in history.

Termed 'yellow Wednesday' private security guards were hired and forcefully removed the protestors. This was reportedly the first time security were hired to evict protestors.

Images from the time show protestors being dragged away from the site.

Over the next few years there would be a few more protests but the camp would be dispersed and the M3 would eventually be built.

In 1993, seven of the protestors were jailed for breaching an injunction.

The cutting at Twyford Down, Winchester, Hampshire, England during construction of the M3 motorway, pictured in July 1994, one week after the road (partially) opened. Photo by Chris Woodford.
The cutting at Twyford Down during construction of the M3 motorway, pictured in July 1994, one week after the road (partially) opened

The Legacy

In 1995, the motorway section through Twyford Down was opened and the M3 became a continuous motorway. The old A33 Winchester Bypass between Bar End and Compton was removed

The protests had arguably failed, but the legacy of them might be more significant.

The Twyford protests are acknowledged to have started the British road protests which stopped other roads being built.

In 2004, a number of Twyford Down protestors reunited and visited the Department of Transport to warn them that future campaigns of direct action would take place in response to a government 10-year transport plan that aimed to build 200 new roads.

The influence of the Dongas can be seen in the protests against HS2. In January, protestors spent days camping out in tunnel networks below Euston Square Gardens in central London.