A66 Penrith to Scotch Corner

[Chris Bertram]

Just checked SABRE maps, OS One-inch 1974 layer, which happily covers Teesside and Darlington. A66 is routed via Darlington, including the inner ring road (no eastern bypass yet), via Stockton to Middlesbrough where it ends on A172. A67 enters Darlington from the west, and heads for Yarm where it meets A19 and ends. A19 still goes through Stockton at this stage but the Tees viaduct is planned. I'm pretty sure that A66(M) was original to the first stage of the A1(M) Durham section in the sixties and would imagine that A66 took over the route to Middlesbrough at that stage. The Darlington to Yarm road was formerly a B-road.

[A303Chris]

Thanks all, thought there would be an obvious answer

[KeithW]

Just checked SABRE maps, OS One-inch 1974 layer, which happily covers Teesside and Darlington. A66 is routed via Darlington, including the inner ring road (no eastern bypass yet), via Stockton to Middlesbrough where it ends on A172. A67 enters Darlington from the west, and heads for Yarm where it meets A19 and ends. A19 still goes through Stockton at this stage but the Tees viaduct is planned. I'm pretty sure that A66(M) was original to the first stage of the A1(M) Durham section in the sixties and would imagine that A66 took over the route to Middlesbrough at that stage. The Darlington to Yarm road was formerly a B-road.

Correct, I first used this road in 1968 when I rode my BSA Bantam from Middlesbrough across the A66 to Appleby to Brough then on to Kendal returning via the A6 to Penrith and the A66 to Scotch Corner. The A66(M) was there then but I took the old road through Barton as riding a small 175 cc bike along a motorway was not a good idea The Barton Road was part of the A1 before the Darlington bypass was built.

[Chris Bertram]

Just checked SABRE maps, OS One-inch 1974 layer, which happily covers Teesside and Darlington. A66 is routed via Darlington, including the inner ring road (no eastern bypass yet), via Stockton to Middlesbrough where it ends on A172. A67 enters Darlington from the west, and heads for Yarm where it meets A19 and ends. A19 still goes through Stockton at this stage but the Tees viaduct is planned. I'm pretty sure that A66(M) was original to the first stage of the A1(M) Durham section in the sixties and would imagine that A66 took over the route to Middlesbrough at that stage. The Darlington to Yarm road was formerly a B-road.

Correct, I first used this road in 1968 when I rode my BSA Bantam from Middlesbrough across the A66 to Appleby to Brough then on to Kendal returning via the A6 to Penrith and the A66 to Scotch Corner. The A66(M) was there then but I took the old road through Barton as riding a small 175 cc bike along a motorway was not a good idea The Barton Road was part of the A1 before the Darlington bypass was built.

And the OS 1968 map has A66 already connecting Darlo and Stockton, though Darlo to Yarm is B1273. Go back to 1960, before A1(M) and A66(M) existed and A67 is indeed the route to Stockton and beyond, with A66 getting on further than Scotch Corner.

[Glenn A]

The A66 terminated in Penrith town centre and what is now the A66 to Workington was a mixture of non trunk Axxx roads. I believe the A66 number was extended to Workington in 1968, when Penrith was by passed, with a view to hugely improving the road in the 1970s, which occured in the 1974-77 period.

[Helvellyn]

The A66 terminated in Penrith town centre and what is now the A66 to Workington was a mixture of non trunk Axxx roads. I believe the A66 number was extended to Workington in 1968, when Penrith was by passed, with a view to hugely improving the road in the 1970s, which occured in the 1974-77 period.

The work near Penrith must've carried on a bit later than that, I can vaguely remember stretches of roadworks near Penrith and having to use the old road whilst there was a lot of work going on, which I wouldn't have done if it all finished in 1977.

[Steven]

The A66 terminated in Penrith town centre and what is now the A66 to Workington was a mixture of non trunk Axxx roads. I believe the A66 number was extended to Workington in 1968, when Penrith was by passed, with a view to hugely improving the road in the 1970s, which occured in the 1974-77 period.

It's very easy to look it up rather than "believing" something.

The Route Planning Maps on SABRE Maps have the answer to when the A66 was extended westwards, and what the road numbers were immediately beforehand.

[Glenn A]

The A66 terminated in Penrith town centre and what is now the A66 to Workington was a mixture of non trunk Axxx roads. I believe the A66 number was extended to Workington in 1968, when Penrith was by passed, with a view to hugely improving the road in the 1970s, which occured in the 1974-77 period.

It's very easy to look it up rather than "believing" something.

The Route Planning Maps on SABRE Maps have the answer to when the A66 was extended westwards, and what the road numbers were immediately beforehand.

Thankyou, also the A594 formed the bulk of the route, now truncated from Papcastle to Maryport.

[KeithW]

The work near Penrith must've carried on a bit later than that, I can vaguely remember stretches of roadworks near Penrith and having to use the old road whilst there was a lot of work going on, which I wouldn't have done if it all finished in 1977.

As I recall the A66 end was moved to its current junction when the M6 section to Penrith was being built in 1969/1970. It was opened in 1971 and looking at the 1971 OS plot plan its clearly shown. The main work going on in 1977 was the Brough bypass.

[scott125]

Is the A66 a busy road during the night?

[Glenn A]

The work near Penrith must've carried on a bit later than that, I can vaguely remember stretches of roadworks near Penrith and having to use the old road whilst there was a lot of work going on, which I wouldn't have done if it all finished in 1977.

As I recall the A66 end was moved to its current junction when the M6 section to Penrith was being built in 1969/1970. It was opened in 1971 and looking at the 1971 OS plot plan its clearly shown. The main work going on in 1977 was the Brough bypass.

Also the year the west Cumbrian improvements were completed, a blessed relief for anyone who lived in Cockermouth.

[Rob590]

Is the A66 a busy road during the night?

Unless I've skipped over something on the thread, I don't see any context for this question: is there anywhere specific on its route are you referring to?

I don't know if there's openly available data but for its 'core' M6-A1 route, anecdotally I'd say the answer is not paticularly, though busier than a typical rural A road.

[CallumParry]

Is the A66 a busy road during the night?

I’ve driven Keswick to Workington at night and it was fairly quiet however the section between the M6 J40 and A1(M) Scotch Corner can be rather busy with freight traffic during the night I’ve noticed especially the S2 sections this is evident when you look at the traffic maps and can see quite a long queue even after midnight if there’s any roadworks on it!

[NICK 647063]

I’ve driven Keswick to Workington at night and it was fairly quiet however the section between the M6 J40 and A1(M) Scotch Corner can be rather busy with freight traffic during the night I’ve noticed especially the S2 sections this is evident when you look at the traffic maps and can see quite a long queue even after midnight if there’s any roadworks on it!

I was working near Scotch corner on the S2 section a few weeks ago between 1am and 4am and it’s pretty much HGV after HGV, In fact I would say about 10 HGV’s to every car, nighttime flows seemed constant as it’s a major freight route.

[scott125]

Is the A66 a busy road during the night?

Unless I've skipped over something on the thread, I don't see any context for this question: is there anywhere specific on its route are you referring to?

I don't know if there's openly available data but for its 'core' M6-A1 route, anecdotally I'd say the answer is not paticularly, though busier than a typical rural A road.

The title of the thread includes the A66, I asked a question about the A66. A bit petty.

[scott125]

Is the A66 a busy road during the night?

I’ve driven Keswick to Workington at night and it was fairly quiet however the section between the M6 J40 and A1(M) Scotch Corner can be rather busy with freight traffic during the night I’ve noticed especially the S2 sections this is evident when you look at the traffic maps and can see quite a long queue even after midnight if there’s any roadworks on it!

Ive never drove it at night. Must be up there as a busy rural A road at night.

[punyXpress]

Late 60's following RAC Rally drove from Scotch Corner to Penrith at silly o'clock.
Road was covered in 4 to 6 inches of snow & didn't see another vehicle the whole way!

[punyXpress]

Late 60's following RAC Rally drove from Scotch Corner to Penrith at silly o'clock.
Road was covered in 4 to 6 inches of snow & didn't see another vehicle the whole way!

This was preceded by going up Ingleby Greenhow stage when we left.
The snow mentioned above had started about 2 hours previously and the gradient 1 in 5 without a run up!
The Dunlop SP44 tyres at each corner helped somewhat

[Glenn A]

Late 60's following RAC Rally drove from Scotch Corner to Penrith at silly o'clock.
Road was covered in 4 to 6 inches of snow & didn't see another vehicle the whole way!

Apparently James Herriot and a friend with a Jaguar drove over Stainmore in snow drifts in 1938 at speed and survived. In one of the novels, a local policeman tells Herriot the road had been closed for four days and no one had been able to drive on it due to blizzards.

[Ruperts Trooper]

Late 60's following RAC Rally drove from Scotch Corner to Penrith at silly o'clock.
Road was covered in 4 to 6 inches of snow & didn't see another vehicle the whole way!

My memory of the RAC Rally is that it always snowed somewhere on the route - sorted out "the men from the boys" as practice and pace notes weren't used in those days. In the late '70s, can't remember which year, we followed it round and I remember substantial snow on the road up to The Stang from theA66 and having to roll several competitors back onto their wheels!