C286 (York)

This article is about the Class III road numbered C286 maintained by York Council.
For other roads numbered C286, see C286.

The C286, maintained by York Council is a series of roads connecting Askham Bryan and Dringhouses to the southwest of York.

Route

The T-junction at Askham Bryan. The C286 turns right here.

The C286 starts at the city boundary on York Road, between Healaugh and Askham Richard. The road heads east, and shortly meets a staggered crossroads with the C273 that runs between Askham Richard and the A64. Our road has priority, and we continue east through typical Vale of York scenery, passing by Askham Bryan College (an agricultural college) on our right. After the college we reach a T-junction, where we must give way.

At the T-junction, a right turn will take us along the C287 towards the A64 at the Copmanthorpe Roundabout. We turn left here, heading north on Askham Fields Lane, and shortly arriving at Askham Bryan. Here, we must turn right (left is a no-through road) and through the village on Main Street. The road is quite twisty here, but soon we exit the village and back into rural surroundings.

The C286 at Moor Lane, on the approach to the railway bridge.

After half a mile or so, the road sweeps round to the left, then right as it approaches a large roundabout with the A1237. One of the arms takes us along Askham Lane (C285), but we take the next exit and onto Moor Lane. The road takes several corners on leaving the roundabout, and soon the road takes on a more suburban feel as we enter York. The left hand side of the road is lined with 1980s housing - part of the Woodthorpe estate. The road was realigned here at the time the estate was built, a small oxbow lay-by to the right provides access to some farm buildings. Houses soon line both sides of the road, which bends to the left and up to a mini roundabout with Chaloners Road. This is roughly the point at which the (unbuilt) 1930s York ring road would have passed on the way to the A64.

We cross over the roundabout, and over the East Coast Railway Line on a sweeping bridge. The original road used a level crossing just to the left here, but this is closed off as the railway here is very busy. After the bridge we drop gently down to ground level and reach a large roundabout with the A1036, a supermarket, and Askham Bar Park and Ride. Our route ends here, and we can turn left to go into York, or right to head out of the city and towards Leeds and all points south.

History

A 1954 1:25k map showing the realigned roads at the Moor Lane roundabout. A1237 not shown.

At the junction with the A1237, the roundabout was built to replace a series of three dangerous T-junctions. Before the A1237 was built, the two sections of the C286 and Askham Lane (C285) met at a simple rural T-junction, the remains of which can still be seen in places - some are used as access roads to farms and fields, and some are now overgrown and unused.