B3309

The B3309 in Crowlas – looking west

The B3309 is a short rural B-road in west Cornwall.

The route starts at a crossroads on the A30 in Crowlas. This is one of those very busy villages that are stuck on the un-bypassed A30 between Hayle and the Penzance dualled section.

Immediately we are in a 20 mph zone with humps. After passing Ludgvan County Primary School (a reason for the limit) the zone ends to be replaced with a 30 mph limit by the Old Inn public house. Climbing, the road becomes semi-rural in nature but the limit remains. In fact one of those signs beloved of the former Penwith District Council "30 mph still applies", in white-on-blue, appears. It is not known whether these would stand up in court as proper repeaters.

The village of Ludgvan is reached. It has a church with a tower and right next door is the White Hart public house. Through the next part of the village the road is too narrow for a centre line. Finally we head into the countryside and the national speed limit signs appear.

The road is still narrow and still generally climbing. Eventually it widens out but then ends within a quarter of a mile at a stop sign at a T-junction with the B3311 in the hamlet of Castle Gate. In 1.9 miles the road has managed to climb 440 feet or so.

The 1923 MoT map suggests that after leaving Crowlas the B3309 went along the even narrower road via Trenowin to reach the B3311, although later maps show the current route. If this is true then the reason for the change is obvious.