Star.pngStar.pngStar.pngStar grey.pngStar grey.png

A3072

From Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
A3072
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (15)
From:  Bickleigh (SS937076)
To:  Bude (SS211058)
Distance:  53.5 miles (86.1 km)
Meets:  A396, A377, A3124, B3125, B3217, B3216, A386, A3079, A388, B3254, A39, A3073
Primary Destinations
Highway Authorities

Cornwall  • Devon

Traditional Counties

Cornwall • Devon

Route outline (key)
A3072 Bickleigh – Crediton
(A377) Crediton – Copplestone
A3072 Copplestone – Lamerton Cross
(A386) Lamerton Cross – Hatherleigh
A3072 Hatherleigh – Holsworthy
(A388) Holsworthy
A3072 Holsworthy – Stratton
(A39) Stratton
A3072 Stratton – Bude

The A3072 is a long, meandering A-road running from Devon into north Cornwall.

Its length makes it one of the longest 4 digit A roads in Britain, almost identical in length to the A1101.

Route

Section 1: Bickleigh – Hatherleigh

Approaching Crediton

The road starts by leaving the A396 just north of the bridge over the River Exe at Bickleigh. It runs roughly South West across hilly mid-Devon, passing no places of any size until it gets to Crediton, where it reaches the A377. The two roads then multiplex westbound for about 5 miles, before the A3072 turns off again at Copplestone. This is a strange junction: A377 traffic follows an elongated one-way system either side of the railway line, with the A3072 turning off at traffic lights to the west of the more southerly railway bridge. However, to stop eastbound A3072 traffic from having to do a full loop, this railway bridge is two-way - but needs to be controlled by the same set of lights as it is very narrow.

Heading west now, we pass through the village of Bow and then to the south of North Tawton along what appears to be a bypass (although the classified route has always gone this way). After passing a left-hand turning for the A3124, with which we then multiplex (the A3072 is dominant), we have to turn right at a TOTSO with the B3215 at Newland Cross. Next right then provides an unclassified shortcut to the northbound A3124, who otherwise have to double back on themselves at the following junction and then suffer the indignity of another TOTSO!

We now pass to the south of Sampford Courtenay, and then cross the B3217 at Exbourne. After a mile we also meet the B3216 at a TOTSO at Jacobstowe, which is actually the best route if you are staying on the A3072 to cross Devon. The road itself now dives south west once more, to reach the A386 at Lamerton Cross. Turning right gives you nearly three miles of multiplex to the B3216 (bet you wish you went that way now) and then another to Hatherleigh, where a roundabout just beyond the start of the town's bypass provides the start of the next section of A3072.

Section 2: Hatherleigh – Bude

Near Holsworthy

From Hatherleigh, we set off westwards once more, between industrial estates and housing development. The road then takes a sharp left-hand bend in Highampton followed by a sweeping right at Beara Cross a mile further on. Passing to the south of Black Torrington and Holemoor, we reach the A3079, which joins from the left. Then about 3 miles further on we find the A388 at Holsworthy. After a short multiplex northwards along Chapel Street and Fore Street, the A3072 heads west again up Victoria Hill.

The next exciting thing to happen is that we cross the River Tamar into Cornwall. Shortly after, we cross the B3254 at a staggered crossroads and then we reach Stratton. After weaving through the outskirts of this small town, we meet the A39 at a crossroads. There is now a short multiplex southwards with the A39, then we turn off to enter Bude, where we meet the A3073 as both roads terminate.

History

The route from Bickleigh to Crediton was originally the B3214. From Copplestone to North Tawton it was the B3215, and then the B3216 to Jacobstowe. From there, the current route to the A386 used to be unclassified. The B3216 was picked up again in Hatherleigh and took us as far as Stratton, whilst the final section into Bude was numbered B3260.

The A3072 came into being around 1927 by taking over the western part of the B3216, from Hatherleigh to Stratton. It had extended west into Bude by 1932 but appeared to remain unchanged in the 1935 renumberings. The road was not extended further east for a number of years but appears to have reached Bickleigh in one go in 1971, as the change is shown on the 1972 OS Route Planning Map but not on the 1971 edition. It is not known why the road detoured from the B3216 west of Jacobstowe.




A3072
Junctions
Crossings
Roads
Places
Related Pictures
View gallery (15)
The Red Post, Launcells - Geograph - 1368912.jpgA3072 near Anvil Corner - Geograph - 740246.jpgGeograph-1748441-by-Derek-Harper.jpgSign at Coffintree Cross - Geograph - 1943756.jpgCross roads at Coffintree Cross - Geograph - 4733169.jpg
Other nearby roads
Bude
Tiverton
A3000-A3099
A3000 • A3001 • A3002 • A3003 • A3004 • A3005 • A3006 • A3007 • A3008 • A3009 • A3010 • A3011 • A3012 • A3013 • A3014 • A3015 • A3016 • A3017 • A3018 • A3019
A3020 • A3021 • A3022 • A3023 • A3024 • A3025 • A3026 • A3027 • A3028 • A3029 • A3030 • A3031 • A3032 • A3033 • A3034 • A3035 • A3036 • A3037 • A3038 • A3039
A3040 • A3041 • A3042 • A3043 • A3044 • A3045 • A3046 • A3047 • A3048 • A3049 • A3050 • A3051 • A3052 • A3053 • A3054 • A3055 • A3056 • A3057 • A3058 • A3059
A3060 • A3061 • A3062 • A3063 • A3064 • A3065 • A3066 • A3067 • A3068 • A3069 • A3070 • A3071 • A3072 • A3073 • A3074 • A3075 • A3076 • A3077 • A3078 • A3079
A3080 • A3081 • A3082 • A3083 • A3084 • A3085 • A3086 • A3087 • A3088 • A3089 • A3090 • A3091 • A3092 • A3093 • A3094 • A3095 • A3096 • A3097 • A3098 • A3099
Earlier routings:
A3010 • A3013 • A3015 • A3017 • A3018 • A3022 • A3023 • A3024 • A3027(E) • A3027(W) • A3029 • A3030 • A3031(N) • A3031(S) • A3032 • A3033 • A3034 • A3035 • A3036 • A3038
A3039 • A3040 • A3044 • A3045 • A3046 • A3047 • A3049(E) • A3049(W) • A3052 • A3056 • A3060 • A3062 • A3063(E) • A3063(W) • A3064 • A3065 • A3071 • A3073 • A3078 • A3079
A3084(W) • A3084(E) • A3087

SABRE - The Society for All British and Irish Road Enthusiasts
Discuss - Digest - Discover - Help