A446

A446

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From:

Little Packington (SP202845)

To:

Bassetts Pole (SP147992)

Length:

10.2 miles (16.4 km)

Meets:

A452, M6, M42, A38

Now part of:

A452, A38, A5206

Primary Destinations

Birmingham International Airport •

Highways Authorities

Highways Agency • Staffordshire • Warwickshire

Traditional Counties

Staffordshire • Warwickshire

Route outline (key)

A446	Leamington - Little Packington
A446	Little Packington - Bassetts Pole
A446	Bassetts Pole - Lichfield

Route

Originally numbered as a route between Leamington, Kenilworth, Coleshill, and Lichfield, the A446 has become something of a shadow of its former self despite being dual-carriageway since the Second World War.

Little Packington - Bassetts Pole

The modern road, being a primary route throughout, and dual carriageway as far as the M42 junction 9, begins by diverging from the A452 near Little Packington. After being met by a slip road from the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), the A446 runs alongside the M42 to the M6 at junction 4. Beyond this point to its end, the A446 is intimately tied to the route of the M6 Toll’s.

The tree lined Coleshill Bypass

Paul writes:

The A446 is still primary and is useful for drivers wanting to avoid paying a charge to use the parallel M6T, even if they have to take a road that is still single-carriageway in a few places. The only blot on this broad, winding, country road is the Curdworth (Dunton) roundabout: 5 lanes of evil madness. The section between the M6 and A45 is a little gem though: D2, complete with flyovers to the NEC, and nothing on it!

The road is now shadowed by the M42/M6 Toll as far as M42 junction 9, bypassing Coleshill by way of a fantastic tree lined avenue. From here it reverts to being a single-carriage road, and moves to the east side of the toll road. Half a mile on a recently revamped roundabout serves the A4091 to Tamworth and an off slip from the toll road southbound. The Belfry golf course & hotel is next on the right, then is a long wind up the hill and along to Bassetts Pole pub/roundabout and the road’s end at the A453.

History

In the 1920s the route began at the junction with the A444 north of Leamington, and headed north-east to cross the A46 at Kenilworth, before reaching the A45 at Stonebridge. This section was renumbered in the 1940s and is today a south-eastward extension of the A452.

The rest of the original route is taken over by the A38 dual carriageway to the Lichfield bypass, and the single carriageway A5206 into the city. The old A446 deviates from this route just north of Bassetts Pole, the A38 taking up the alignment a mile further on, and again in removing a ‘Z’ bend near Swinfen Hall north of the A5.