B4471

Near Llanhilleth

The B4471 is an urban B-road running along the valley of the Ebbw River in west Monmouthshire.

The road starts at a T-junction on the A472 and heads westwards along a road that was unclassified until the coming of the B4471 in the late 1920s. There's a chicane as we enter Swffryd and a surprisingly rural 20 limit, with the road becoming built-up after the next corner. We run along the traffic-calmed Soffrydd Road, gradually bearing round to the right.

By the time we're heading northeastwards the buildings are left behind and the limit increases to 30, although there's an excellent view over the Ebbw valley. We descend to the valley bottom and reach a T-junction. This marks the original northern end of the B4471 where it ended on the A467; that road now follows the bypass to the west and indeed the road to the left has now been blocked to traffic. We TOTSO right onto the old A-road and quickly enter Llanhilleth.

We follow a winding route through town with a descent to the station and then a climb again as we remain halfway up the side of the valley. The road remains built-up (but only on the right) and presently the road TOTSOs left; the old A467, now unclassified, continues ahead into Abertillery. Meanwhile our road crosses the Ebbw Fach and then climbs to a roundabout where it ends on the present A467; ahead is the A4046.

History

Initially, the B4471 only followed the southern end of its current route, between Hafodyrynys and Llanhilleth, but as the A467 has been improved and realigned, so the B4471 has been extended northwards to its current length.