I’ve been travelling along the old A1 from the boot and shoe to ferrybridge these last few weeks and it got me thinking about the road in it’s hey day . Now between the boot and the old Selby fork motel you have a lot of overnight parking and it’s still duel carriage way both sides but from there to ferrybridge it’s hard to imagine what it was like , I remember I think through Fairborn the road ran fairly close to the houses and a school and there’s still a pub there but it’s hard to picture the old road . Does anyone have any old photos or any idea where I could find an old map of that area , it’s just curiosity really but I’m sure the road ran through a fairly built up area
Here is a photo of winter early 1979 when the A1 still passed through the village of Chilton near Ferryhill. You can just make out the rear of one of our vehicles stuck & in the distance on the left another one. It was a Friday night and we had about 30 stuck from The Eden Arms Roundabout up to Ferryhill cut and as you can imagine there were many other lorries as well. The people in Chilton opened up their homes and let lorry drivers sleep & keep warm inside. Our drivers were fortunate as some lived in Chilton & Ferryhill and one or two walked home to Spennymoor. Others stayed with their vehicles frightened of risking walking.
Northbound on the A1M take exit for Ferrybridge Services and M62 eastbound.A mile further ignore services exit and continue downhill.This is the old A1 through Ferrybridge village.Cross river,old bridge on the left.Continue north there is exit for A162 to Sherburn and Tadcaster.After this the road goes through Fairburn after which you can join A1M at Selby Fork or continue north above Castleford to end up at M1 jct.46.From Selby Fork you can still go through Micklefield and Aberford.
I might have a look at Woolfie’s book.How much is it?I am a pensioner,you know.
Wolfies book is highly interesting, I would recommend it, was £15 when I bought it.
Thanks for the replies and the photo , the book looks like what I’m after I’ll see about ordering it. Years ago back in the late seventies/early eighties I used to travel from Leeds to Dunbar and back every week working on torness power station, from Leeds I’d join the A1 at Wetherby by the race course then off at Washington in through Gateshead and other long forgotten districts of Newcastle and join the A1again , and on up past Alnwick to Berwick over the border into Scotland. At that time there were a few by-passes under construction so I suppose a lot of that old road has disappeared. Thanks again for the replies and if anyone has any old photos of the old road it would be nice to see them
Lonewolf Yorks:
Errr well not one to blow my own trumpet etc…
Never one to miss a sale, Wolfie? 
Retired Old ■■■■:
Lonewolf Yorks:
Errr well not one to blow my own trumpet etc…Never one to miss a sale, Wolfie?
I couldn’t possibly pass up the golden opportunity for the OP’s greatest desires to be fulfilled, all of the photos he’s on about are all there. (Plus a whole load of others I didn’t use)
Brilliant!
The front cover photo on the book…is that Boroughbridge ■■ It’s many a long year since I went up the A1 over the bridge.
I remember going through a built up area in Micklefield. Wasn’t there a cafe there (not
one of the best if I remember correctly).
There was a cafe on the left in Micklefield northbound.There was one southbound about a mile away too.Don’t recall the names.Also Norman’s 24hr establishment at Brotherton.
grumpy old man:
The front cover photo on the book…is that Boroughbridge ■■ It’s many a long year since I went up the A1 over the bridge.
I could say buy the book and find out 
but no, its Sandy, Beds.
Oh 
The memory dims as you get older.
Are you sure it’s not Boroughbridge ? 
…
Carl Williams:
Here is a photo of winter early 1979 when the A1 still passed through the village of Chilton near Ferryhill. You can just make out the rear of one of our vehicles stuck & in the distance on the left another one. It was a Friday night and we had about 30 stuck from The Eden Arms Roundabout up to Ferryhill cut and as you can imagine there were many other lorries as well. The people in Chilton opened up their homes and let lorry drivers sleep & keep warm inside. Our drivers were fortunate as some lived in Chilton & Ferryhill and one or two walked home to Spennymoor. Others stayed with their vehicles frightened of risking walking.
The road may still have been designated the A1 then but as far as i can work out the A1(M) from Aycliffe to Chester le Street opened in 1969.
I was running a night trunk for Carpet Express from Middleton to Birtley in 1978 and 1979 and it was certainly open then.
grumpy old man:
OhThe memory dims as you get older.
Are you sure it’s not Boroughbridge ?
Sandy…
Gidders:
There was a cafe on the left in Micklefield northbound.There was one southbound about a mile away too.Don’t recall the names.Also Norman’s 24hr establishment at Brotherton.
The Woodlands?
matamoros:
Carl Williams:
Here is a photo of winter early 1979 when the A1 still passed through the village of Chilton near Ferryhill. You can just make out the rear of one of our vehicles stuck & in the distance on the left another one. It was a Friday night and we had about 30 stuck from The Eden Arms Roundabout up to Ferryhill cut and as you can imagine there were many other lorries as well. The people in Chilton opened up their homes and let lorry drivers sleep & keep warm inside. Our drivers were fortunate as some lived in Chilton & Ferryhill and one or two walked home to Spennymoor. Others stayed with their vehicles frightened of risking walking.The road may still have been designated the A1 then but as far as i can work out the A1(M) from Aycliffe to Chester le Street opened in 1969.
I was running a night trunk for Carpet Express from Middleton to Birtley in 1978 and 1979 and it was certainly open then.
Yes you are correct, I got muddled as it was before the Chilton by-pass, but still a lot of traffc used that road with all HGVs who were travelling West of Durham City. On that day traffic first got stuck on the rise up towards Ferryhill cut ad there was a trail right down & into Chilton and then as the traffic stopped moving the hill from the Eden Arms roundabout got stuck so there was over 100 HGVs in the area round the Eden Arms.
I good the book yesterday £11.99 from amazon ,
Purchased from Ebay for £11.69…