This article includes a list ofgeneral references,butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations.(August 2010) |
TheA44is a major road in theUnited Kingdomthat runs fromOxfordin southernEnglandtoAberystwythin westWales.
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byEnglish local authoritiesandNorth & Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent | ||||
| Length | 154.3 mi[1][2](248.3 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end |  A40inOxford | |||
 A34inOxford
 A470inRhayader | ||||
| West end |  A487inAberystwyth | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Counties | England: Oxfordshire,Warwickshire,Gloucestershire,Worcestershire,Herefordshire Wales: Powys,Ceredigion | |||
| Primary destinations | Woodstock Chipping Norton Moreton-in-Marsh Evesham Worcester Bromyard Leominster Kington Old Radnor Rhayader Llangurig | |||
| Road network | ||||
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History
editThe original (1923) route of the A44 wasChipping NortontoAberystwyth.No changes were made to the route of the A44 in the early years. After theSecond World War,the section betweenRhayaderandLlangurigwas renumberedA470,as part of the 186 miles (299 km) long road inWalesthat connectsCardiffon the south coast toLlandudnoon the north coast. The A44 was extended toOxfordin the 1990s, replacing part of theA34when theM40 motorwaywas completed.
Route
editOxford–Evesham
editThe road begins at aroundaboutjunction with theA40 roadon the northern section of Oxford's ring road inOxfordshire.It has agrade separatedjunction with theA34 road(leading to theM40 motorwayandWinchester). From here, the road runs northwest, and has a 2-mile (3.2 km) section ofdual-carriagewaythrough the villages of Yarnton and Begbroke before reaching the town ofWoodstock,home toBlenheim Palace.The road then reaches the main market street inChipping Nortonbefore entering theCotswolds.The road here has many hills and turns, and is single-carriageway with some tight bends, with not much opportunity for overtaking.
The road then entersGloucestershire,and the town ofMoreton in Marsh,before sweeping up through woodland until it reaches Fish Hill nearBroadwayinWorcestershire.At this point, it becomes 3-lane and descends steeply through some sharp bends. It then bypasses Broadway before meeting up with theA46/A435Eveshambypass.
Evesham–Leominster
editOn reaching the northern end of the Evesham bypass the A44 heads northwest, passingWyre Piddleand the town ofPershorebefore reaching the crossroads nearSpetchley.The road then crosses theM5 motorwayand ontoWorcester's eastern bypass (A4440). It then turns south along the bypass before rejoining its original line west into the city itself. The road passes theCathedral,crosses theRiver Severnand then meets the western end of the bypass.
After leaving Worcester, the A44 continues west past the village ofBroadwas,following theRiver TemeuntilKnightwickwhere entersHerefordshireas it climbs over Bringsty Common before descending towardsBromyard.The A44 bypasses Bromyard town centre and heads west over the downs toBredenbury.It then crosses theRiver Luggbefore meeting theA49Leominsterbypass, where it turns left and heads through the town centre.
Leominster–Rhayader
editAfter leaving Leominster, the A44 crosses theRiver Arrowto bypassMonkland.The road then heads towards theblack and white villagesofEardislandandPembridge.After Pembridge the A44 meanders west, passing numerous orchards en route, before reachingLyonshall,where the road meets theA480and passesOffa's Dyke.A couple of miles later and the A44 meetsKington.The road bypasses the town and follows the River Arrow before reaching theWelsh border.
LeavingHerefordshireand enteringPowys,the road continues throughWaltonand passes the village ofNew Radnor,before turning south toLlanfihangel Nant Melan.The road then turns northwest to do some serious hill-climbing before winding its way downhill to a plateau. A few miles later it reachesPenybontandCrossgates,where it meets theA483 road.Eight miles further the A44 reachesRhayader.
Aspoof sign on this section of the road,announcing "Llandegley International Airport 2½m",has attracted international press coverage and been mentioned inParliament.[3]
Rhayader–Aberystwyth
editOn reaching the centre of Rhayader, traffic heads to the left of the clock tower before immediately turning right, where the road passes through the town and joins theA470for 9 miles (14 km) toLlangurig,following the course of theRiver Wye.Leaving Llangurig, the road starts clinging to hillsides as it winds its way through theCambrian Mountains.
The road entersCeredigionand the next hamlet isEisteddfa Gurigwhich, at 1339 feet (408 metres) above sea level, is its highest point and the location of the iconicElvis Rock.The A44 then descends into the remote settlement ofPonterwyd.The road passes several abandoned mines en route to the villages ofGoginanandCapel Bangor,where it meets theRiver Rheidol.The road then passes the village ofLlanbadarn Fawr,continuing for the last mile through the outskirts ofAberystwythbefore terminating on theA487at Penglais Hill.
Former routes
editBypasses and realignments
edit- Evesham: the route used to go through the centre of the town, but now runs to the north.
- Evesham–Worcester: the route used to run on a road to the south. The old route is now known as the B4084.
- Leominster–Kington: for 4.8 miles (7.7 km) west of Barons' Cross the road formerly followed a more northerly route, crossing theRiver ArrowatEardisland.
- Kington, Herefordshire,the road bypasses the centre of the town using the formerLeominster and Kington Railwaytrackbed north of the town.
- Wyre Piddle.In 2003 the A44 was rerouted down the A4538 between Evesham and Worcester and therefore no longer goes downPershoreHigh Street.
Junction list
edit| County | Location | mi[1][2] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxfordshire | Oxford | 0.0 | 0.0 |  A40/ Woodstock Road (A4144south) / Five Mile Drive toM40–London,Cheltenham,City centre,Wolvercote,Summertown,Headington,Witney | Eastern terminus |
| Gosford and Water Eaton | 0.4 | 0.64 |   A34toM40/A420/A41–Newbury,Swindon,The Midlands,Banbury,Northampton,Cowley,Abingdon,Bicester,Botley | To A41 signed eastbound only | |
| 0.7 | 1.1 |  A4260north –Kidlington | Southern terminus of A4260 | ||
| Shipton-on-Cherwell and Thrupp–Kidlingtonboundary | 4.3 | 6.9 |  A4095(Bladon Road / Upper Campsfield Road) –Witney,Bicester,Long Hanborough,Bladon,Kirtlington | ||
| Chipping Norton | 15.2 | 24.5 |  A3400north –Stratford,Shipston | Southern terminus of A3400 | |
| 16.6 | 26.7 |  A361north (Banbury Road) / B4026 (Over Norton Road) –Banbury,Over Norton,Great Rollright,Bloxham | Bloxham signed eastbound only; eastern terminus of A361 concurrency | ||
| 16.8 | 27.0 | A361south (Burford Road) to B4450 / B4026 –Burford,Churchill,Charlbury | Western terminus of A361 concurrency | ||
| Oxfordshire–Warwickshireboundary | Salford–Little Comptonboundary | 20.0 | 32.2 |  A436west –Stow,Oddington | Eastern terminus of A436 |
| Gloucestershire | Moreton-in-Marsh | 24.8 | 39.9 |  A429north (High Street) –Stratford,Batsford | Batsford signed westbound only; eastern terminus of A429 concurrency |
| 24.9 | 40.1 | A429south (Stow Road) –Stow-on-the-Wold,Cirencester,Bourton-on-the-Water | Bourton signed eastbound only; western terminus of A429 concurrency | ||
| Bourton-on-the-Hill | 28.4 | 45.7 |  A424south-east –Stow,Bourton-on-the-Water | Information signed eastbound only; north-western terminus of A424 | |
| Worcestershire | Evesham | 37.9 | 61.0 |    A46south / Broadway Road toM5/A435–Cheltenham,Evesham,Pershore,Tewkesbury | Eastern terminus of A46 concurrency |
| Norton and Lenchwick | 40.2 | 64.7 |  A46north toM42/A435–The North,Stratford,Birmingham,Redditch,Salford Priors,Alcester,Bidford | The North and Bidford signed eastbound only; western terminus of A46 concurrency | |
| 40.4 | 65.0 |  A4184south / B4088 (Evesham Road) –Evesham,Harvington,Norton | Northern terminus of A4184 | ||
| Pinvin | 46.5 | 74.8 |  A4104west (Terrace Road) / B4082 (Main Street) –Village centre,Pershore,Upton Snodsbury | Eastern terminus of A4104 | |
| Spetchley | 51.1 | 82.2 |    A422east /A4538north (Pershore Lane) toM5north /A38–Stratford,Droitwich | Western terminus of A422; southern terminus of A4538 | |
| Warndon | 52.7 | 84.8 |   A4440north (Nunnery Way) / Wildwood Drive –Worcester(east) | Eastern terminus of A4440 concurrency | |
| Whittington | 53.5 | 86.1 |   A4440west (Whittington Road) toM5/A4103/A449/ B4084 –Worcester(west),Hereford,Malvern,Pershore | Worcester signed westbound only; western terminus of A4440 concurrency | |
| Worcester | 55.0 | 88.5 | A38south (Commandery Road) –Tewkesbury | Eastern terminus of A38 concurrency | |
| 55.1 | 88.7 | A38north toA449–Bromsgrove,Kidderminster | Information signed westbound only; western terminus of A38 concurrency | ||
| 55.5– 55.6 | 89.3– 89.5 | A449north (Croft Road) toA38–Bromsgrove,Kidderminster | Eastern terminus of A449 concurrency | ||
| 55.7– 55.9 | 89.6– 90.0 | A449south (Bromwich Road) toA38–Malvern,Ledbury,Tewkesbury A443north-west (Hylton Road) –Tenbury | Ledbury signed westbound only; western terminus of A449 concurrency; south-eastern terminus of A443 | ||
| Rushwick | 57.5 | 92.5 | A4103west / Grove Way (A4440east) toM5/A422–Hereford,Evesham,Stratford | Eastern terminus of A4103; western terminus of A4440 | |
| Herefordshire | Bromyard | 69.7 | 112.2 |  A465west (Hereford Road) –Hereford | Eastern terminus of A465 |
| Leominster | 80.1 | 128.9 |  A49south –Hereford | Eastern terminus of A49 concurrency | |
| Kimbolton | 80.9 | 130.2 | A49north –Shrewsbury,Ludlow | Ludlow signed eastbound only; western terminus of A49 concurrency | |
| Monkland and Stretford | 85.5 | 137.6 |   A4110toA4113–Hereford,Canon Pyon,Knighton,Kingsland | Brief concurrency | |
| Eardisland | 86.1 | 138.6 |  A4112south-west toA438–Brecon,Dilwyn,Weobley | North-eastern terminus of A4112 | |
| Lyonshall | 93.1 | 149.8 |  A480south-east –Hereford,Lyonshall | North-western terminus of A480 | |
| 94.9 | 152.7 | A4111south / Headbrook toA438–Hereford,Brecon,Kington,Eardisley | Northern terminus of A4111 | ||
| Herefordshire–Powysboundary | Lower Harpton–Old Radnorboundary | 97.8 | 157.4 | England–Walesboundary | |
| Powys | New Radnor | 105.3 | 169.5 |  A481west –Hundred House,Builth Wells | Eastern terminus of A481 |
| Penybont | 110.9 | 178.5 |  A488north –Knighton | Southern terminus of A488 | |
| Crossgates | 112.8 | 181.5 |  A483–Llandrindod Wells,Newtown,Llanddewi | Llanddewi signed eastbound only | |
| Rhayader | 120.9 | 194.6 | A470south (South Street) / B4518 (West Street) –Builth Wells | Eastern terminus of A470 concurrency | |
| Llangurig | 130.0 | 209.2 |  A470north toA489–Dolgellau,Newtown | Western terminus of A470 concurrency | |
| Ceredigion | Ponterwyd | 142.6 | 229.5 |  A4120west –Devil's Bridge | Eastern terminus of A4120 |
| Llanbadarn Fawr | 153.3 | 246.7 | A4120east (Heol-y-Bont) toA487–Southgate,Cardigan | Western terminus of A4120 | |
| Aberystwyth | 154.3 | 248.3 | A487(Penglais Road) –Cardigan,Machynlleth | Western terminus | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ab"A40 Woodstock Rd, A40, Oxford OX2 8AL, UK to A44, Moreton-in-Marsh, UK to 78-70 A44, Worcester WR5 2DY, UK to A44, Presteigne LD8 2RB, UK".Google Maps.Alphabet Inc.Retrieved20 June2024.
- ^ab"A44, Presteigne LD8 2RB, UK to A487, Aberystwyth SY23 2JT, UK".Google Maps.Alphabet Inc.Retrieved22 June2024.
- ^Brockway, Derek (6 May 2010)."Llandegley International Airport".Retrieved20 February2022.
External links
edit
Media related toA44 road (Great Britain)at Wikimedia Commons- SABRE page on the A44Archived22 May 2006 at theWayback Machine
