A40/Cheltenham - Ross
| A40 | ||||||||||
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| From: | Cheltenham (SO956216) | |||||||||
| To: | Ross on Wye (SO606255) | |||||||||
| Via: | Gloucester | |||||||||
| Meets: | A46, B4075, B4633, A4013, B4063, M5, A417, A38, A417, B4215, A48, B4216, A4136, B4222, B4224, B4260, A449, B4234 | |||||||||
| Old route now: | A38, A417 | |||||||||
| Primary Destinations | ||||||||||
| Counties | ||||||||||
Gloucestershire • Herefordshire | ||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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Cheltenham doesn't seem to have any direct routes through it, the A40 taking what must be three different courses! We travel out of the western side of Cheltenham past the GCHQ "listening post" building to our right. The road now bypasses Staverton and other villages via the Golden Valley bypass, which is a high-grade road with a 3-level junction with the M5 (J11).
Gloucestershire's county town keeps its close neighbour Cheltenham in its place by denying it a proper bypass. Gloucester's own bypass takes the A40, multiplexed with the A38 and A417, round the north of the city and then, (without the A38 which has struck off to Tewkesbury) across the Severn. The A417 then strikes off north to Ledbury and Leominster, and shortly after the A48 strikes off south to Chepstow and South Wales.
Between Gloucester and Ross through traffic is recommended to take the M5–M50 dogleg to avoid this unimproved section skirting the Forest of Dean. Despite this, the A40 is trunk between the M5 and the Herefordshire border.
