B1248

Route

The B1248 is a long distance route over the Yorkshire Wolds from Beverley to Malton. It carries a large amount of traffic, as it is an important route from the Hull area to Ryedale, avoiding the long trip via York.

Section 1: Beverley to Bainton

The B1248 originally started just to the north of Beverley, at a roundabout with the A164 but the road now starts at a large roundabout with Dog Kennel Lane; this road and the former B1248 has been part of the Beverley northern bypass (A1035) since 2007.

Heading on in a roughly northwesterly direction, we skirt past Cherry Burton village on our left, and then cross the old York-Beverley railway line (the tracks are no longer there, but the old station house is on our right). The road then runs almost straight for a mile or so, bearing gently left, then right, as we pass turns for South Dalton, then Holme on the Wolds.

Near Lund

Just after the turning for Holme, we encounter a slight oddity for a rural B-road: a village bypass. The B1248 takes a route around the west side of the village of Lund. Connections to Lund can be made at several points on the bypass, and a final connection where the bypass ties in to the old road. In reality, the southern half of the bypass has always been numbered B1248 whereas the northern half was built in 1927. From Lund onwards, there are no more settlements on this section, barring one or two farms. We give way to the A614 at a Y-shaped junction. From here we must turn right onto the A614 and follow it through Bainton village.

Section 2: Bainton to Wetwang

Bainton Road

To the north of Bainton we reach a roundabout. The A614 leaves us to the right, and the B1246 to Pocklington leaves to the left. Our road runs straight on, in a rather straight line to the village of Tibthorpe. The whole of this section is well built for its class, and feels more like a minor A-road than a B-road, especially as a lot of the curves have been rounded off; an example can be found on leaving Tibthorpe, with the old road left as a lay-by. The road continues in this smooth manner until we reach a T-junction with the A166, which we give way to. To reach the next section of the road, we must turn left and drive through the village of Wetwang, famous for having the late Richard Whiteley as "Honorary Mayor"!

Section 3: Wetwang to Malton

After a short multiplex with the A166, we leave Wetwang and bear right, leaving the A-road behind. A mile or so of straight road beckons, before we reach a roundabout with the B1251, another important "cross-Wolds" road that is useful as an alternative route from York to Scarborough in the peak holiday season. There used to be a railway station on our right here, serving Sledmere and Fimber. This shut in 1950, even though it was a well used station on the line.

North Grimston

We carry on for several more miles, with nothing but fields and occasional farms in this picturesque Wolds scenery. Wharram-le-Street breaks up this monotony, and beyond, the road now twists and turns more, as we leave the plateau behind, and start to make a gradual decent down into Ryedale. Just before the village of North Grimston, the B1253 joins us from the right. The final drop in the valley takes us past Settrington, famous for racehorses. Several signs on the road here warn of racehorses crossing the road.

Shortly, we enter Malton. Well, Norton actually, but you'd be forgiven for thinking this as the two towns are closely linked, only separated by the River Derwent. Historically, Malton was in the North Riding, Norton in the East Riding. The road gets busier as we enter the town, and is slowed down early on by the use of speed cushions and chicanes, which give priority to traffic leaving town. At the mini-roundabout, we turn right. This avoids several smaller roads in the centre of Norton. At the end of this road, we encounter a mini-roundabout, where the B1248 used to end but now goes both left and right. The right turn takes us out of the town on the old A64 and joins the Malton bypass at its eastern end. We turn left, and onto the main shopping street - this also used to be the A64 before the bypass was built. We join the old Beverley road at another mini-roundabout, carrying straight on. Shortly, we bend to the right and over the railway at a level crossing and straight away cross over the River Derwent and into Malton.

Once over the river, we turn to the left, and head towards the main junction in town, a signalised crossroads. Previously, this would have been the crossing of the A64, the A169, and the B1257. The A64 followed our route until Malton bypass was built in 1980. The B1257 is directly ahead of us, the right turn (also the B1257) follows the old A169 through the village of Old Malton and joins the A169 at a junction with the A64 bypass. The left turn was the old A64, which we follow, passing the market square accesses on our right. A right turn provides an access road towards Castle Howard (signed by a brown tourist sign). We leave the town, and pass an industrial estate to our left, and join the end of the Malton bypass at a simple fork junction. We can only join the A64 York-bound, and this has dropped from D2 to S2, causing long queues during the summer months.

History

This road has only had two major changes done to it since 1922. The former A64 in Malton was made an extension of the B1248 when the bypass was built, and then part of the B1248 became the A1035 when the Beverley Northern Bypass was created.