I Drew The Original Great North Road (A1)

[jonathan1990]

Whilst the lock down is going I’ve used a bycyle programme to draw what was the original A1 aka The Great North Road from Edinburgh to London. I’ll show you the route and discription below. Not been east to make.

bikemap.net/en/r/5839366/#8 … 138/-1.326

The first bit in Scotland is pretty straight forward. It’s the A199 to Dunbar and then it rejoins the modern A1 and is still the same pretty much to Berwick. At Berwick it went straight through Berwick town instead of the ring road before rejoining the modern A1 where Scremerston is. It’s then still the same until you get a few miles north of Alnwick and takes the road into the town centre. After then once again south of the town it rejoins the modern A1 but goes off at a couple of locations and goes through the villages of Newton On The Moor and Felton before been the same as modern A1 for a few more miles until you get north of Morpeth. Here it leaves the modern A1 for some time now and goes straight through Morpeth town centre. South of Morpeth it’s a side road next to the modern A1 which goes though a village called Stannington before going it’s seprate way through Gosforth into Newcastle City Centre. In city centres like this it always went right through roads that are now pedestrianised. The route then went over the Tyne Bridge into Gateshead where there are 2 options. It did at one time take the A167 Durham Road but originally went down another road named Old Durham Road before coming back to A167. Apart from going through Chester-Le-Street the route mainly sticks to A167 before branching off to get into Durham and their precinct. It went on a little bit of A177 before rejoining A167. Before you get to Darlington the route went though the villages of Ferryhill, Chilton and Aycliffe. Again it went through the precinct. Apart from going through Northallerton’s High Street it’s all on A167 to Topcliffe then this is where it gets very difficult to trace. The A1 then ran besides A168 dual carrageway before going straight through what’s now the RAF Dishforth army camp before going into Boroughbridge. After then it went on what’s now A168 to northern Wetherby where it goes through their town centre. After then it went besides the modern A1(M) passing through the West Yorkshire villages of Bramham, Aberford and Mickleford before taking a bit of the A63 and then the road to Ferrybridge. It rejoins the modern A1 just where the service station is and went along it until you turn off into Doncaster although it went through Wentbridge. Just like any other place it went through the precinct at Doncaster instead of inner ring road. It then went on A638 through Bawtry to Barnby Moor where it took A638 into Retford. After then it was all on A638 until Markham Moor. After then it went through Tuxford, Weston, Sutton On Trent and Cromwell before rejoining the modern A1 once again, but this time only for a little way before it took the road into Newark. It then went out through Balderton way and passed through Fernwood before once again rejoining the modern A1. Before going through Grantham town centre it went through another village off the modern A1 Long Bennington. Once again it rejoined the modern A1 south of Grantham to the road into Stamford. Just like Grantham south of town it rejoins the modern A1 once again. For some miles now it has not changed apart from going through the villages of Wansford, Stibbington and Water Newton. For a small way they actully upgraded the A1(M) on the old A1 road before it goes besides it until Alconbury where it again rejoins the modern A1 once A1(M) has ended. Until the A1(M) starts again it mainly has not changed apart from going off through the villages and towns of Buckden, Little Paxton, St Neots and Briggleswade. It then went through Baldock, Stevenage, Knebworth, Woolmer Green and Welwyn before getting to Hatfield. At Hatfield there’s 1 part where it crossed the railway mainline and pedestrians can still get across but not vechicles any more. After Hatfield it just simply went along what is now A1000 into London right up until East Finchley. After then it went through Highgate before rejoining the modern A1 for the last time at Upper Holloway. The A1 then finishes in the St Paul’s area of the capital.

Imagine what it would be like for truckers if the A1 had never changed and still took this same route today!

[gidders]

Parts of that I find interesting through youthful experiences driving around with my dad when i was little and then as a teenager living near Newark.I remember a holiday job when the Newark by pass was under construction helping to erect the road signs.There used to be night trunks at 24 hr.cafes in front of the castle at Newark.Half cab Fodens from Robinson’s,Stockton(?) and a blue/white Foden 8 wheeler with semi trailer mounted at the rear.My mate’s dad used to own a 24 hr.cafe at Long Benington.
In fact the first thing I recall is the number of eating places and parking spots available as opposed to modern times.

[fodenway]

There’s a book by Chris Cooper called “The Great North Road Then and Now”, an absolutely fabulous book with very detailed maps, diagrams, drawings, information and hundreds of period and modern photos of this road. Amazing just how much the route has changed over the centuries. It’s one of those books you just can’t put down.

[wheel_nut]

It’s amazing how the road system has changed to suit modern traffic, except one part that I drew at school in 1971.

The A63 from Hull to Howden and the A614 to Gyme Corner. The only bits that have really changed is Goole J36, Melton / North Ferriby and Humber Bridge A15 Section. The rest just breeds congestion and accidents, even in these quiet days of Covid-19

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jonathan1990]

Wonder if anyone has driven on parts of the original A1 (Great North Road) whether it’s A199, A167, A638 or A1000.

[lawrence_dunbar]

Well I certainley have when running down to London in the late 50s onwards, I would do it all again if I could, But Im an old man now in my 80s , So Im quite content to just relax and think about those good old days when drivers were drivers Not like steering wheel attendents these days, No dissrespect to these blokes its just the way haulage is run these days, Traffic planners etc, Give me the good old days any time, Plus a few single malts before going to bed & Hopefully waking up to have some more tonight, Regards Larry.

[jonathan1990]

I’ve been on parts of the A167 but never even stopped off at Ferrybridge services which is next to Great North Road.

[punchy_dan]

Lawrence Dunbar:
Well I certainley have when running down to London in the late 50s onwards, I would do it all again if I could, But Im an old man now in my 80s , So Im quite content to just relax and think about those good old days when drivers were drivers Not like steering wheel attendents these days, No dissrespect to these blokes its just the way haulage is run these days, Traffic planners etc, Give me the good old days any time, Plus a few single malts before going to bed & Hopefully waking up to have some more tonight, Regards Larry.

Post of the year top man Larry .

[lawrence_dunbar]

This is the Old A 1, AKA The Great North Road, This is Wideopen, I was born in 15 Park View which is the southern end of North Terrace, In later years it all became Park View as it is today, It was my Grandad Smiles house, I used to watch for him & his Steam Traction Engine when passing, It was a great view from the front upstairs bedroom, You could see St Marys Light House which was in a straight line with house, & in later years it was Scammells , Stay safe everyone, Regards Larry.

[lawrence_dunbar]

This is the old A1 at Seaton Burn just north of Wideopen, This is Bridge Street, Not on the picture but two of my Aunties had a shop there, Aunty Sally was an agent for the now adays famous Greggs the Bakers, Her sister my aunty Appy was a hairdresser and they shared the shop , It was divided with a sliding curtain, , Not allowed now but it was not looked upon as a problem in those good old days.I was educated at Seaton Burn P C, Which is further South on right of this picture until I was 13 I then went on to to be educated at Skerrys College in Newcastle where I did two years on book keeping and typing which did me a world of good in later years when I became an owner driver in 1972 So I could look after all the paper work & accounts stuff, Bridge Street is no longer standing as it was in those good old days, Its all been redeveloped like most places have over the years,Regards Larry.