An A1 question

[doebag]

I don't know when, but I'd lay money on the Wansford dualling being in the 1960s.

About 1971-2. It was IIRC last section to be dualled between Newark and Alconbury (and indeed one of the last between Stevanage and Tyneside). The section past the Ram Jam was another of the last sections.

There is a photograph in 'The Great North Road' by Norman Webster, of the Ram Jam Inn. Caption states 1971 'with doubling of the road seen in progress in the distance'

[KeithW]

Which bit was a narrow D2? The Barnet Bypass is 17 miles long and runs from Highgate (branching off the Great North Road at the junction of North Hill) to Stanborough, at what is now A1(M) J4. In the 1970s, the length from the North Circular to South Mimms was already largely D3 with narrow lanes (with the exception of the bottleneck through Mill Hill). North of there would have been a complete mix, and south of the North Circular would have been, as now, a mix of D2, S2 and S4.

In the late 1970's there was a lot of work going on along the southern end of the A1 as part of the upgrade to A1(M) and the construction of the M25. As I recall I was on my way to Kent at the time. I didnt take notes so forgive me if I cannot give exact dates. It was certainly much better by 1980 when I started using it regularly.

There is a picture on page 32 of Wolfie Cooper's excellent book 'The Great North Road' which captures nicely what was happening at the time.

As a point of pedantry, Stamford and Grantham were bypassed in the 1960s with grade-separated dual carriageways. Other places like Colsterworth and Wansford did indeed get 1920s bypasses.

Which is why I said 'started out' as I recall Barnet was one of the first places bypassed albeit as single carriageway and of course it was not designated as part of the A1 until the 1950's being the originally numbered as the A555. It was however considered to be part of the London-Edinburgh-Thurso trunk road. The A1 has always been a moveable feast. I have personally driven several entirely different routes between Darlington and Morpeth all of which were called the A1 at the time.

[owen b]

I don't know when, but I'd lay money on the Wansford dualling being in the 1960s.

About 1971-2. It was IIRC last section to be dualled between Newark and Alconbury (and indeed one of the last between Stevanage and Tyneside). The section past the Ram Jam was another of the last sections.

I have a 1970 AA Book of the Road and the only sections not dualled between South Mimms and Tyneside are South Mimms to Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City to Welwyn, St.Neots bypass (under construction), Stibbington to Wansford (A47 GSJ open though), north of Stamford bypass to South Witham, Lincs/Notts border to Balderton. North junction of Stamford bypass, Balderton, Scotch Corner all showing as roundabouts.

[B1040]

The 10 mile to the inch maps on this site give some clues.
My understanding of the Southern end is:
Barnet / Hatfield built 1920s single until the early '80s
Welwyn, Wansford, Colsterworth all late 20s.
Welwyn remains intact as replaced by A1(M), Wansford dualled in the mid '70s (one of the last bits), Colsterworth dualled earlier than that.
Early 60s bypasses included Stevenage, Biggleswade, online dualling of Beds and Hunts but not Eaton Socon. Stilton got the very first bypass.
Stamford, Grantham and Newark were done early.
The A1(M) at Doncaster was about '61.
Yorkshire was done pretty wholesale in the early '60s.
Darlington was mid '60s taking until the mid 70s to reach the edge of Newcastle.
Morpeth was mid '70s, but the bit from Wide Open to Morpeth was done later.

[owen b]

The 10 mile to the inch maps on this site give some clues.
My understanding of the Southern end is:
Barnet / Hatfield built 1920s single until the early '80s
Welwyn, Wansford, Colsterworth all late 20s.
Welwyn remains intact as replaced by A1(M), Wansford dualled in the mid '70s (one of the last bits), Colsterworth dualled earlier than that.
Early 60s bypasses included Stevenage, Biggleswade, online dualling of Beds and Hunts but not Eaton Socon. Stilton got the very first bypass.
Stamford, Grantham and Newark were done early.
The A1(M) at Doncaster was about '61.
Yorkshire was done pretty wholesale in the early '60s.
Darlington was mid '60s taking until the mid 70s to reach the edge of Newcastle.
Morpeth was mid '70s, but the bit from Wide Open to Morpeth was done later.

Great list. J59-J63 (Durham A1(M)) was September 1969 : http://motorwayarchive.ihtservices.co.u ... /dates.cfm and the Birtley pass J63-65 was April 1970.
Stannington bypass was in the 1983-87 timeframe according to my map collection.
Morpeth bypass is under construction in my 1970 atlas.
Eaton Socon was bypassed with St.Neots (under construction in 1970).

[JohnnyMo]

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT STAMFORD, LINCS, Ocr. 31 Mr. Marples, Minister of Transport, opening a four and a half mile long by-pass here today, gave his audience some indica- tion of the amount of work involved in the improvement of the Great North Road from London to Newcastle. He mentioned the major by-passes for Stevenage, Biggles- wade, and Grantham, and a six-mile stretch of road at Newark, but said that in view of Stamford's traffic problem it was a right decision that the Stamford by-pass should be the first to be opened south of Doncaster. Congratulating the civil engineers and the contractors, he said that the road had been completed in 16 months. which was good going. The Mayor of Stamford said that Stam- ford people had been waiting for this road since 1920. He described it as a triumph of engineering and a credit to the Ministry. MINSTER OPENS NEW BY-PASS

So that dates the Stamford Bypass opening, and also that was the 1st to open south of Doncaster, which may imply some north of Doncaster were already opened at that time.

IIRC The Barnet Bypass was included in an upgraded as a feeder road from the North Circular to the M1.

EDIT ---
This thread says the Wetherby Bypass was opened in 1957 Longest section of D2 road before the M1?

[wrinkly]

I think the Brotherton bypass was the last bit in Yorkshire.

[vlad]

I have a 1970 AA Book of the Road and the only sections not dualled between South Mimms and Tyneside are South Mimms to Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City to Welwyn, St.Neots bypass (under construction), Stibbington to Wansford (A47 GSJ open though), north of Stamford bypass to South Witham, Lincs/Notts border to Balderton. North junction of Stamford bypass, Balderton, Scotch Corner all showing as roundabouts.

I have the 1974 NBotR, which shows virtually all non-motorway GSJs as roundabouts so it isn't obvious by looking at the map what the status of the road is.

My book shows all the above as being dualled, with the exception of South Mimms to Hatfield. The Welwyn section has been bypassed by the A1(M). I'd expect a lot of people reading this thread would have known that anyway, however.

[owen b]

I have a 1970 AA Book of the Road and the only sections not dualled between South Mimms and Tyneside are South Mimms to Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City to Welwyn, St.Neots bypass (under construction), Stibbington to Wansford (A47 GSJ open though), north of Stamford bypass to South Witham, Lincs/Notts border to Balderton. North junction of Stamford bypass, Balderton, Scotch Corner all showing as roundabouts.

I have the 1974 NBotR, which shows virtually all non-motorway GSJs as roundabouts so it isn't obvious by looking at the map what the status of the road is.

My book shows all the above as being dualled, with the exception of South Mimms to Hatfield. The Welwyn section has been bypassed by the A1(M). I'd expect a lot of people reading this thread would have known that anyway, however.

The odd thing is that my 1970 atlas shows GSJs on the A1 clearly, so where they show a roundabout I think it's fair to assume it really is a flat roundabout rather than a GSJ.

To clarify, the 1970 atlas shows the A1 dualled from the present day A1057 at Hatfield to just north of the present day A1(M) J5, then single carriageway to the present day J6 northbound onslip.

[wrinkly]

I remember the Lemsford-Welwyn improvement (first bit north of the later Hatfield tunnel) was under construction in 1972.

[SteveA30]

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/stam ... ord+bypass

[B1040]

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/stam ... ord+bypass

The pre-bypass congestion clips looked just as busy as the centre of Stamford is today!

[Berk]

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/stam ... ord+bypass

The pre-bypass congestion clips looked just as busy as the centre of Stamford is today!

That’s the shocking thing - there’s so much more traffic today. And the default diversion route when the A1 is closed (for accidents)... why, the Great North Road through Stamford, of course!!