A547
From Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki
| A547 | ||||||||||
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| From: | Conwy (SH766785) | |||||||||
| To: | Prestatyn (SJ075833) | |||||||||
| Via: | Colwyn Bay, Abergele | |||||||||
| Length: | 23.2 miles (37.3 km) | |||||||||
| Meets: | A55, A548, A55, A487, A487, A55, A548, A55, A525, A5151, A548 | |||||||||
| Former Number(s): | A55, B5117 | |||||||||
| Primary Destinations | ||||||||||
| Conwy • | ||||||||||
| Highways Authorities | ||||||||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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Contents |
Route
Section 1: Conwy – Llandudno Junction
The A547 spends much of its life running along the old route of the A55 (its original section was only a few miles long). It begins northwest of Conwy at a diamond junction on the A55 between the railway and the sea. It heads south then east, passing over the railway then under it again through a narrow arched bridge as we enter Conwy alongside playing fields.
As we enter the historic part of town (the town walls are very well preserved, the road splits to negotiate the one-way system. East bound traffic makes for the sea (or should that be the river estuary), running very close to a house reputed to be the smallest in Britain, then runs along the shoreline towards the castle. Westbound traffic runs through the town centre through narrow streets. It is easy to see why the town was so congested when this was the A55. The two traffic streams merge again as we pass the B road to Llanrwst and Betws-y-coed (pronounced Bet oose er coyd) under the shadow of the fine castle.
We then cross the river by means of a 1950s built bridge linking onto a much older causeway. To your right you see Telford's old suspension bridge, now a footbridge, and to the right of that is Stephenson's railway bridge: twin enclosed tubes of a similar style to his original Britannia Bridge. Both the old bridges have been designed to blend in with the castle above – the towers for both have mock battlements. The causeway is wide and is shared by road and railway. Pedestrians are able to walk out along a promenade on the north side.
At the east end of the causeway we cross over the A55 just to the south of the Conwy Tunnel portal. Then we cross over the Llandudno branch line next to the railway junction that gives Llandudno Junction its name.
Section 2: Llandudno Junction – Colwyn Bay
Shortly after the Junction we reach a roundabout where we cross the A546. We then continue east to another grade-separated roundabout with the A55, where we also cross the A470.
From here, we run south of the A55, which runs on embankment to our left. To our right are the steep hillsides of North Wales, to our left the land is much flatter – we are on the edge of the coastal plain. We run through Mochdre then once again come alongside the A55, which is initially above us, but then below us. We pass an elongated diamond junction where the A547 and A55 cross the B5113 as we enter Colwyn Bay. We then run along the main street of Colwyn Bay and Old Colwyn, emerging at Penmaen Rhos where we are higher than the A55 running along the coast below.
Section 3: Colwyn Bay – Prestatyn
We cannon with the A55 either side of Llanddulas, then deviate south into Abergele where we cross the A548 at a staggered cross roads, before crossing the A55 east of the town. The next turn to the right marks the original route of the A55 and therefore the start of the A547. We now run across very flat low lying land along a very straight alignment towards Rhuddlan where we meet the A525 at a roundabout outside town, views of the castles opening up in front of us. We turn left onto the bypass, a dual carriageway multiplex with the A525. At the next roundabout its a right turn back to another roundabout on the eastern edge of Rhuddlan where we turn left to resume the original course of the A547 through the town centre.
The A547 originally ended in Rhuddlan - it was extended along the former B5117 in the 1950s. It's another run across flat land along a straight road to pass the northern edge of Dyserth. Once we reach the hill in front of us we bear left to take the easy option into the town of Prestatyn where we terminate at a T-junction on the A548 near the site of a Motte-and-Bailey Castle.
Original Author(s): Simon Davies
