A naval dockyard has existed in Portsmouth since at least Tudor times, giving significant importance to the road linking that city with London. The original route skirted the north-western limits of The Weald climbing to the summit of Gibbet Hill close to Hindhead. In 1826 the road was rebuilt around the Devil's Punch Bowl to ensure that the gradient was no more than 5%. The road became part of the A3 when road numbering was introduced in the 1920s.