Surveys were carrie out to obtain people's preferences for scenes in order to investigate the visual intrusion of roads in rural areas, and to test methods of measuring scene attractiveness and change in scene attractiveness as a result of new or improved roads being constructed. It has been claimed to be possible to predict scene attractiveness using an objective method. However any 'objective' method that is based on subjective preferences is limited since these vary considerably between such groups as rural and urban residents and between different social groups. It is doubtful if in fact such a method should truly be described as objective. By using two different methods of presentation, people' s short term and long term reactions to roads (new or reconstructed) are demonstrated. It is concluded that an attempt by Clamp at predicting change of amenity does not appear to be satisfactory in its present form.