B7020

The B7020 is a lengthy secondary road through Annandale in Dumfriesshire.

Route

Beattock - Lochmaben

Dalton

The route starts at a slightly realigned fork junction on the A701 south of Beattock, and is signed towards Lochmaben. It immediately curves to the right and heads south, and for a few miles runs roughly parallel to the A701 to the west and the A74(M) and B7076 to the east. This makes the B7020 reasonably quiet, as there is generally a quicker route for most journeys! The route is nevertheless, a decent width S2 on a generally good alignment comprising short straights and sweeping bends. It passes through fields, patches of woodland and passes a scattering of farms as it heads almost due south, climbing gently along the low ridge to the west of the River Annan. Woodland generally screens the views, but there are a few glimpses of the hills on the far side of the valley. After about three miles, the route reaches its summit of 168m, before beginning an equally gently descent. A crossroads leads left to Johnstonebridge and right to St Anns Bridge, but the B7020 continues south as the other two route finally start to diverge.

The number of roadside houses and farms has increased a little as the road descends, and then crosses the edge of Hellshole Moss, a boggy hollow between the hills which appears to drain (somewhat reluctantly) to both north and south. The road follows the southern burn into the tiny village of Templand, which at first seems to be entirely composed of single storey properties, but a small group of two storey houses lie at the far end of Main Road. Just beyond the village, the meandering Kinnel Water lies hidden from view across the lumpy field to the right, before winding off across the fields. Half a mile later, it comes back, and is crossed at Kinnel Bridge. The road then briefly follows the river upstream, such is its winding course, before reaching Lochmaben. This small town is a surprising discovery, lying off the main tourist trail. The B7020 winds in along Barrashead, then Barras. There are a few modern houses, before long rows of brightly painted old stone cottages line the roadside, with the prominent tower of the Town Hall drawing the eye.

Queen Street and then High Street carry the B7020 down into the town centre. The town hall stands behind a statue of Robert Burns at the head of the spacious market place, which is now lined as a very wide S2 with parking down either side. The B7020 appears to include the short branches both behind and in front of the town hall, and therefore meets the A709 in three different places. The two routes then have a short multiplex south down the High Street, which is terminated by a prominent, if not particularly beautiful church. The B7020 regains its numebr by turning right between this church and the War Memorial, signed for Dalton.

Lochmaben - Annan

Dalton

The route continues south along a pleasant tree lined route to the west of Castle Loch. Although the loch is rarely more than a hundred metres away, the thick foliage makes it all but invisible during the summer months, and even in winter there are only a few places where the water can be seen. A left turn near the foot of the loch leads out to the Castle ruins which stand on a promontory at its southern end. A couple of long straights lead down to a series of junctions either side of the bridge over the little burn which flows out of Hightae Mill Loch, after which the route climbs a little as it passes to the west of Hightae village. Another long straight follows, passing between two low ridges which almost look man-made. After over half a mile of farmland, a house is then passed again, just beyond a crossroads, and is quickly followed by a liberal scattering of properties as the road curves southeastwards into the valley of the River Annan.

The river can be glimpsed just across the fields to the left, before it meanders away to the east, leaving the road to wind through some woodland. After this the route reaches the tiny village of Dalton, where it is the dominant partner in a short multiplex with the B725 through the village. Just after the last house, it sweeps round to the right as the B725 forks left, and heads out across fields once more. Now heading southeastwards the route continues across the fields, climbing a little through patches of woodland. The lie of the land means that, even from the summit, the A75 is out of sight over a slight rise, despite being less than a mile away to the south. The two routes have long straight alignments, which very slowly converge as they head south east, the B7020 passing only a handful of farms and houses over the four miles that it takes to reach the A75. They finally meet at a T junction a mile or so west of the Annan bypass.

History

The route was originally unclassified but gained its number in the late 1920s, first appearing on the 1928 revision of the MOT map. That map shows that the route has changed very little since it was first classified. It also explains the B7020 having priority in the multiplex in Dalton, as at that time the road to the east of the village was still unclassified.