Old A roads

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cyclop
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Re: Old A roads

Post by cyclop »

The A7,Carlisle to Edinburgh is designated the "scenic route" to Edinburgh ,the M74 being the preferred route.Certainly much quieter than the A roads on the Furness peninsula,my old stamping ground.Longtown to Hawick returning via Newcastleton or Hermitage castle makes a pretty good circuit.
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Re: Old A roads

Post by cyclop »

cyclop wrote:The A7,Carlisle to Edinburgh is designated the "scenic route" to Edinburgh ,the M74 being the preferred route.Certainly much quieter than the A roads on the Furness peninsula,my old stamping ground.Longtown to Hawick returning via Newcastleton or Hermitage castle makes a pretty good circuit.
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Mick F
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Mick F »

When I last rode up the A7, there were brown signs every now and again proclaiming it was the "Historic Route to Edinburgh".
Great stuff, I'm sure everyone will agree. Good for the tourists etc. Good old turnpike and coaching route to Scotland's capital city from Carlisle.

Trouble was, on my way back south, the signs proclaimed "Historic Route to the M6".
I laughed so much, I nearly fell off my bike! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Mick F. Cornwall
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Bmblbzzz »

I'm unsure now as to whether this thread is asking for roads which used to be A roads (or possibly which used to be the equivalent before road numbering was introduced) or ones which are still A roads but not too busy. If the latter, I'd nominate the A420 from the outskirts of Bristol (Warmley) to Chippenham and then the A4 as far east as Newbury. It's rather busy around Calne but the rest of it is similar to the A38 north of Bristol, as mentioned by the OP; wide, flat and straight, with in all probability less traffic than it was designed to cope with.
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Re: Old A roads

Post by mjr »

Mick F wrote:Trouble was, on my way back south, the signs proclaimed "Historic Route to the M6".
I laughed so much, I nearly fell off my bike! :lol: :lol: :lol:

:lol: I keep a "Strange Sights" photo album for just such things, but I rarely get crackers like that! Closest that I remember is "Historic Downtown Parking Facility" in St Augustines, Florida... https://goo.gl/maps/iD62iybkqZu ... of course, it meant it was the best car park for the historic downtown area, but that wasn't how my brain parsed it either...
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Richard A Thackeray »

Flite wrote:The A6, Kendal to Shap. Quiet and spectacular

Plus1


Parts of the old Great North Road are still well worthy of a visit, with many of the old Coaching Inns still in existence, even if not licenced premises any more
Eg;
- The Swan, at Aberford (now sadly closed)
It still has its coaching bell!
West Yorkshire Scenes. Aberford. The Swan Hotel. 1.JPG
West Yorkshire Scenes. Aberford. The Swan Hotel. 8.JPG




Aberford itself is a splendid village on the old GNR, with a superb approach to it, from HookMoor (south side), with the magnificent Gascoigne Almshouses

- Brotherton 'Fox'
Where the York road, left the GNR

- Barnby Moor (Nottinghamshire), with the Old Bell http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/78933
- Markham Moor Hotel
Nottinghamshire. Markham Moor Hotel.JPG


- Scrooby Top, a magnificent building!
South Yorkshire Scenes. Doncaster. Bawtry. Scrooby..JPG



Not forgetting the CrossRoads Farm, at 'Bramham Crossroads'
Not seen, unless you know it's there & look for it!

I have a picture from when it actually was a cross-roads (taken from 'GNR')






Try this site

http://www.biffvernon.freeserve.co.uk/contents.htm
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Dean
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Dean »

Ah yes, I was thinking of the old A1 when I saw the title.

The first time I rode south through Aberford, I was very taken with the old coaching inn, much like Stamford in Lincs or Belford in Northumberland. A few hours later, I rode through Wakefield, and spotted that I was riding along Aberford Road, a sign of how important it once was.

The Great North Road is an interesting thing to try to follow, there are loads of variations.
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Re: Old A roads

Post by sjs »

BeeKeeper wrote:
Flite wrote:The A6, Kendal to Shap. Quiet and spectacular

There must be other bits of the A6 which can be used, for example Carlisle to Penrith is quiet for most of its length.


I used to cycle the A6 between Derby and Bakewell quite frequently. Fairly busy but generally wide enough not to be a problem, scenic and relatively flat in a hilly part of the country.
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Richard A Thackeray wrote: - The Swan, at Aberford (now sadly closed)
It still has its coaching bell!

What was the coaching bell for? I'm guessing it can't have been a door bell! Maybe it was rung to summon the passengers when the coach was ready to depart? (I did google 'coaching bell' but the results were predictable... )

(For some reason I can't get the photo in my quote :? )
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Richard A Thackeray »

Dean wrote:Ah yes, I was thinking of the old A1 when I saw the title.

The first time I rode south through Aberford, I was very taken with the old coaching inn, much like Stamford in Lincs or Belford in Northumberland. A few hours later, I rode through Wakefield, and spotted that I was riding along Aberford Road, a sign of how important it once was.

The Great North Road is an interesting thing to try to follow, there are loads of variations.


There's a brilliant book (good to read in conjunction with the 'A1' link I gave
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00S ... HXD6W10THM






Bmblbzzz wrote:
Richard A Thackeray wrote: - The Swan, at Aberford (now sadly closed)
It still has its coaching bell!

What was the coaching bell for? I'm guessing it can't have been a door bell! Maybe it was rung to summon the passengers when the coach was ready to depart? (I did google 'coaching bell' but the results were predictable... )

(For some reason I can't get the photo in my quote :? )

Yes, exactly, to summon the stable lads/grooms that a coach was arriving & needed fresh horses
And, also to warn passengers of the impending departure

There's also a sign too, or was (may have gone now?)
West Yorkshire Scenes. Aberford. The Swan Hotel. 5.JPG


There's also this house at Bawtry, with the most wonderful address
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Thanks. I wonder when the PO last issued a licence to let horses? :shock:
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Richard A Thackeray »

Richard A Thackeray wrote:There's a brilliant book (good to read in conjunction with the 'A1' link I gave
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00S ... HXD6W10THM


On the back of owning that book, I've ordered this one earlier today


http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1870067797/r ... ra_ohs=0-0
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Richard A Thackeray »

The pre-1830's 'GNR' at Wentbridge, now Jacksons Lane

Image

Note the present A1 viaduct in the background



This, plus next 3 images
One shows the same cottages back in 1910-1920
I know it's a FaceBook page, but as it's Public, they're apparently visible to non-registered viewer
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater


Plus, there's also this beautiful little milestone, partially hidden, you only really see it from a bike, a car-driver would pass right by, unless he/she knew it was there

Image
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Mick F
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Mick F »

Very interesting Richard!
Very interesting indeed.

Just chatting down the boozer yesterday late afternoon about the village of Lewwanick, Cornwall.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.60166 ... 482961,15z
The Old A30 used to come up from Plusha and latterly (before the dual carriageway) the alignment turned north before the village. You can see the roads on the Google link.

Originally, the Old A30 went through Lewannick and past the Archer Arms opposite the church and then went north. Again, you can see the roads.

This is the village by the pub.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.60067 ... 312!8i6656
The Old A30 used to come up the side of the pub and turn sharply across the front.

How long ago that the Old A30 came this way, I don't know. Perhaps it wasn't called the A30 in those days.
I remember the Old A30 turning off before the village, it's probably only 25years ago that the dual carriageway was built.
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Re: Old A roads

Post by Richard A Thackeray »

Mick F wrote:Very interesting Richard!
Very interesting indeed.

The Old A30 used to come up from Plusha and latterly (before the dual carriageway) the alignment turned north before the village. You can see the roads on the Google link.



Thankyou!

Did you see that BBC4 programme about the A30 a few months ago, as you say, (it was) very interesting indeed!!
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