This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2010) |
The A44 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Oxford in southern England to Aberystwyth in west Wales.
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by English local authorities and North & Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent | ||||
| Length | 154.3 mi[1][2] (248.3 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end |  A40 in Oxford | |||
 A34 in Oxford
 A470 in Rhayader | ||||
| West end |  A487 in Aberystwyth | |||
| 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 was Chipping Norton to Aberystwyth. No changes were made to the route of the A44 in the early years. After the Second World War, the section between Rhayader and Llangurig was renumbered A470, as part of the 186 miles (299 km) long road in Wales that connects Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. The A44 was extended to Oxford in the 1990s, replacing part of the A34 when the M40 motorway was completed.
Route
editOxford–Evesham
editThe road begins at a roundabout junction with the A40 road on the northern section of Oxford's ring road in Oxfordshire. It has a grade separated junction with the A34 road (leading to the M40 motorway and Winchester). From here, the road runs northwest, and has a 2-mile (3.2 km) section of dual-carriageway through the villages of Yarnton and Begbroke before reaching the town of Woodstock, home to Blenheim Palace. The road then reaches the main market street in Chipping Norton before entering the Cotswolds. 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 enters Gloucestershire, and the town of Moreton in Marsh, before sweeping up through woodland until it reaches Fish Hill near Broadway in Worcestershire. At this point, it becomes 3-lane and descends steeply through some sharp bends. It then bypasses Broadway before meeting up with the A46/A435 Evesham bypass.
Evesham–Leominster
editOn reaching the northern end of the Evesham bypass the A44 heads northwest, passing Wyre Piddle and the town of Pershore before reaching the crossroads near Spetchley. The road then crosses the M5 motorway and onto Worcester's eastern bypass (A4440). It then turns south along the bypass before rejoining its original line west into the city itself. The road passes the Cathedral, crosses the River Severn and then meets the western end of the bypass.
After leaving Worcester, the A44 continues west past the village of Broadwas, following the River Teme until Knightwick where enters Herefordshire as it climbs over Bringsty Common before descending towards Bromyard. The A44 bypasses Bromyard town centre and heads west over the downs to Bredenbury. It then crosses the River Lugg before meeting the A49 Leominster bypass, where it turns left and heads through the town centre.
Leominster–Rhayader
editAfter leaving Leominster, the A44 crosses the River Arrow to bypass Monkland. The road then heads towards the black and white villages of Eardisland and Pembridge. After Pembridge the A44 meanders west, passing numerous orchards en route, before reaching Lyonshall, where the road meets the A480 and passes Offa's Dyke. A couple of miles later and the A44 meets Kington. The road bypasses the town and follows the River Arrow before reaching the Welsh border.
Leaving Herefordshire and entering Powys, the road continues through Walton and passes the village of New Radnor, before turning south to Llanfihangel 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 reaches Penybont and Crossgates, where it meets the A483 road. Eight miles further the A44 reaches Rhayader.
A spoof sign on this section of the road, announcing "Llandegley International Airport 2½ m", has attracted international press coverage and been mentioned in Parliament.[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 the A470 for 9 miles (14 km) to Llangurig, following the course of the River Wye. Leaving Llangurig, the road starts clinging to hillsides as it winds its way through the Cambrian Mountains.
The road enters Ceredigion and the next hamlet is Eisteddfa Gurig which, at 1339 feet (408 metres) above sea level, is its highest point and the location of the iconic Elvis Rock. The A44 then descends into the remote settlement of Ponterwyd. The road passes several abandoned mines en route to the villages of Goginan and Capel Bangor, where it meets the River Rheidol. The road then passes the village of Llanbadarn Fawr, continuing for the last mile through the outskirts of Aberystwyth before terminating on the A487 at 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 the River Arrow at Eardisland.
- Kington, Herefordshire, the road bypasses the centre of the town using the former Leominster and Kington Railway trackbed north of the town.
- Wyre Piddle. In 2003 the A44 was rerouted down the A4538 between Evesham and Worcester and therefore no longer goes down Pershore High Street.
Junction list
edit| County | Location | mi[1][2] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxfordshire | Oxford | 0.0 | 0.0 |  A40 / Woodstock Road (A4144 south) / Five Mile Drive to M40 – London, Cheltenham, City centre, Wolvercote, Summertown, Headington, Witney | Eastern terminus |
| Gosford and Water Eaton | 0.4 | 0.64 |   A34 to M40 / A420 / A41 – Newbury, Swindon, The Midlands, Banbury, Northampton, Cowley, Abingdon, Bicester, Botley | To A41 signed eastbound only | |
| 0.7 | 1.1 |  A4260 north – Kidlington | Southern terminus of A4260 | ||
| Shipton-on-Cherwell and Thrupp–Kidlington boundary | 4.3 | 6.9 |  A4095 (Bladon Road / Upper Campsfield Road) – Witney, Bicester, Long Hanborough, Bladon, Kirtlington | ||
| Chipping Norton | 15.2 | 24.5 |  A3400 north – Stratford, Shipston | Southern terminus of A3400 | |
| 16.6 | 26.7 |  A361 north (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 | A361 south (Burford Road) to B4450 / B4026 – Burford, Churchill, Charlbury | Western terminus of A361 concurrency | ||
| Oxfordshire–Warwickshire boundary | Salford–Little Compton boundary | 20.0 | 32.2 |  A436 west – Stow, Oddington | Eastern terminus of A436 |
| Gloucestershire | Moreton-in-Marsh | 24.8 | 39.9 |  A429 north (High Street) – Stratford, Batsford | Batsford signed westbound only; eastern terminus of A429 concurrency |
| 24.9 | 40.1 | A429 south (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 |  A424 south-east – Stow, Bourton-on-the-Water | Information signed eastbound only; north-western terminus of A424 | |
| Worcestershire | Evesham | 37.9 | 61.0 |    A46 south / Broadway Road to M5 / A435 – Cheltenham, Evesham, Pershore, Tewkesbury | Eastern terminus of A46 concurrency |
| Norton and Lenchwick | 40.2 | 64.7 |  A46 north to M42 / 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 |  A4184 south / B4088 (Evesham Road) – Evesham, Harvington, Norton | Northern terminus of A4184 | ||
| Pinvin | 46.5 | 74.8 |  A4104 west (Terrace Road) / B4082 (Main Street) – Village centre, Pershore, Upton Snodsbury | Eastern terminus of A4104 | |
| Spetchley | 51.1 | 82.2 |    A422 east / A4538 north (Pershore Lane) to M5 north / A38 – Stratford, Droitwich | Western terminus of A422; southern terminus of A4538 | |
| Warndon | 52.7 | 84.8 |   A4440 north (Nunnery Way) / Wildwood Drive – Worcester (east) | Eastern terminus of A4440 concurrency | |
| Whittington | 53.5 | 86.1 |   A4440 west (Whittington Road) to M5 / A4103 / A449 / B4084 – Worcester (west), Hereford, Malvern, Pershore | Worcester signed westbound only; western terminus of A4440 concurrency | |
| Worcester | 55.0 | 88.5 | A38 south (Commandery Road) – Tewkesbury | Eastern terminus of A38 concurrency | |
| 55.1 | 88.7 | A38 north to A449 – Bromsgrove, Kidderminster | Information signed westbound only; western terminus of A38 concurrency | ||
| 55.5– 55.6 | 89.3– 89.5 | A449 north (Croft Road) to A38 – Bromsgrove, Kidderminster | Eastern terminus of A449 concurrency | ||
| 55.7– 55.9 | 89.6– 90.0 | A449 south (Bromwich Road) to A38 – Malvern, Ledbury, Tewkesbury A443 north-west (Hylton Road) – Tenbury | Ledbury signed westbound only; western terminus of A449 concurrency; south-eastern terminus of A443 | ||
| Rushwick | 57.5 | 92.5 | A4103 west / Grove Way (A4440 east) to M5 / A422 – Hereford, Evesham, Stratford | Eastern terminus of A4103; western terminus of A4440 | |
| Herefordshire | Bromyard | 69.7 | 112.2 |  A465 west (Hereford Road) – Hereford | Eastern terminus of A465 |
| Leominster | 80.1 | 128.9 |  A49 south – Hereford | Eastern terminus of A49 concurrency | |
| Kimbolton | 80.9 | 130.2 | A49 north – Shrewsbury, Ludlow | Ludlow signed eastbound only; western terminus of A49 concurrency | |
| Monkland and Stretford | 85.5 | 137.6 |   A4110 to A4113 – Hereford, Canon Pyon, Knighton, Kingsland | Brief concurrency | |
| Eardisland | 86.1 | 138.6 |  A4112 south-west to A438 – Brecon, Dilwyn, Weobley | North-eastern terminus of A4112 | |
| Lyonshall | 93.1 | 149.8 |  A480 south-east – Hereford, Lyonshall | North-western terminus of A480 | |
| 94.9 | 152.7 | A4111 south / Headbrook to A438 – Hereford, Brecon, Kington, Eardisley | Northern terminus of A4111 | ||
| Herefordshire–Powys boundary | Lower Harpton–Old Radnor boundary | 97.8 | 157.4 | England–Wales boundary | |
| Powys | New Radnor | 105.3 | 169.5 |  A481 west – Hundred House, Builth Wells | Eastern terminus of A481 |
| Penybont | 110.9 | 178.5 |  A488 north – Knighton | Southern terminus of A488 | |
| Crossgates | 112.8 | 181.5 |  A483 – Llandrindod Wells, Newtown, Llanddewi | Llanddewi signed eastbound only | |
| Rhayader | 120.9 | 194.6 | A470 south (South Street) / B4518 (West Street) – Builth Wells | Eastern terminus of A470 concurrency | |
| Llangurig | 130.0 | 209.2 |  A470 north to A489 – Dolgellau, Newtown | Western terminus of A470 concurrency | |
| Ceredigion | Ponterwyd | 142.6 | 229.5 |  A4120 west – Devil's Bridge | Eastern terminus of A4120 |
| Llanbadarn Fawr | 153.3 | 246.7 | A4120 east (Heol-y-Bont) to A487 – 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- ^ a b "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. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ a b "A44, Presteigne LD8 2RB, UK to A487, Aberystwyth SY23 2JT, UK". Google Maps. Alphabet Inc. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ Brockway, Derek (6 May 2010). "Llandegley International Airport". Retrieved 20 February 2022.
External links
edit
Media related to A44 road (Great Britain) at Wikimedia Commons- SABRE page on the A44 Archived 22 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine
