Destinations along convoluted routes

The study of British and Irish roads - their construction, numbering, history, mapping, past and future official roads proposals and general roads musings.

There is a separate forum for Street Furniture (traffic lights, street lights, road signs etc).

Registered users get access to other forums including discussions about other forms of transport, driving, fantasy roads and wishlists, and roads quizzes.

Moderator: Site Management Team

Post Reply
User avatar
Bfivethousand
Member
Posts: 1387
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 22:16
Location: Derbyshire

Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by Bfivethousand »

An observation from my travels yesterday...

Sutton Coldfield is signed along the A4097 from M42 J9, a route confirmatory sign states it is 7 miles away.

If following the signed route to Sutton, the J9 sign could read "Sutton Coldfield A4097 (A5127, A452, A38)". Quite a complicated route for a signed destination that's not too far away.

Any better examples?
16 Sodium atoms walk into a bar
followed immediately by Batman
User avatar
Ruperts Trooper
Member
Posts: 12031
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 13:43
Location: Huntingdonshire originally, but now Staffordshire

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by Ruperts Trooper »

There must be many since the motorway building programme started - before the M6 & M42 were built, virtually no-one would have travelled into Sutton Coldfield from Dunton Farm, where Jct 9 is.
Lifelong motorhead
User avatar
vlad
Member
Posts: 2586
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 16:20
Location: Near the northern end of the A34

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by vlad »

If you want convoluted there's this sign pointing to Stoke-on-Trent from the suburbs of Northwich.

The sign says A530 (A50). If you follow the signs you'll take the A530, B5309, A54, M6 and A500 but probably not hit the A50 at all. I appreciate this is quite a bit more than 7 miles, however.
"If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed." - Sylvia Plath
M19
Member
Posts: 2249
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2001 05:00
Location: Rothwell, Northants

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by M19 »

Daventry. Close to the M1 but bloomin' difficult to get to.

....but then again why would you want to go to Daventry?
M19
User avatar
Stevie D
Member
Posts: 8000
Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2006 17:19
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by Stevie D »

M19 wrote:Daventry. Close to the M1 but bloomin' difficult to get to.
Difficult ... seriously?

Come off the M1 at J16, where Daventry A45 is signed as the only exit destination. Turn left along the A45, and follow it straight ahead until you get to Daventry. Job done. Yes, it's a bit slow through Weedon Bec at the moment, but the by-pass that is currently being built will solve that.
tipsynurse
Banned
Posts: 407
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2017 13:37

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by tipsynurse »

I'm always impressed at the ambition of this sign on what is a fairly average non-trunk route.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.67603 ... 312!8i6656

(A423) doesn't get a mention though.
Robert Kilcoyne
Member
Posts: 966
Joined: Sun May 28, 2017 11:41
Location: Birmingham

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by Robert Kilcoyne »

tipsynurse wrote:I'm always impressed at the ambition of this sign on what is a fairly average non-trunk route.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.67603 ... 312!8i6656

(A423) doesn't get a mention though.
Until the extension of the M40 towards Birmingham in 1991 and the related upgrades to the A34, this road was the primary A423 and had been a significant route between the M4 at Maidenhead and the West Midlands via Oxford. The sign looks quite old and may have been erected shortly after the route lost primary status and the road renumbered as the A4074, which left the isolated mile or so of the A423 Ring Road between Iffley and the A34 south of Oxford.
tipsynurse
Banned
Posts: 407
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2017 13:37

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by tipsynurse »

Robert Kilcoyne wrote:Until the extension of the M40 towards Birmingham in 1991 and the related upgrades to the A34, this road was the primary A423 and had been a significant route between the M4 at Maidenhead and the West Midlands via Oxford. The sign looks quite old and may have been erected shortly after the route lost primary status and the road renumbered as the A4074, which left the isolated mile or so of the A423 Ring Road between Iffley and the A34 south of Oxford.
Very good point but as it has patches it must be at least second generation A4074 signs. Quite possible it was just replaced like-for-like (twice) though because as you say that would explain the absence of the A423.
Ambosc79
Member
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 19:04
Location: Shrewsbury

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by Ambosc79 »

https://www.instantstreetview.com/@52.7 ... .55p,2.25z

Yep, that road will get you to Ludlow. If you turn round 180 degrees at the mini-roundabout and head back in the other direction, go back through town and out the other side, in which case it's actually only 30 miles. Don't expect to see any signs to it on the road that actually goes there though, look for Leominster signs instead.

It'll get you to Telford as well, provided you take any right turn that is not a dead end, and head in that direction, 90 degrees to the direction this road goes, for 15 miles or so.

And of course like all signs in Shrewsbury it has to confuse visitors with apparent references to Tyneside. I suppose it does head more towards there than towards Ludlow.

(In all seriousness, I think its purpose is to help lorry drivers who are forced to go up that road to get out of town due to a horrible low bridge that for some reason has been allowed to form the central node of the local road network, with as many routes as possible sent under it via a one-way gyratory. The 180-degree turn for Ludlow isn't an option for HGVs)
User avatar
Steven
SABRE Maps Coordinator
Posts: 19168
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2002 20:39
Location: Wolverhampton, Staffordshire
Contact:

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by Steven »

Ambosc79 wrote:And of course like all signs in Shrewsbury it has to confuse visitors with apparent references to Tyneside. I suppose it does head more towards there than towards Ludlow
Newcastle is the appropriate Primary Destination in that area though. It's not as if it's not a sizeable place either!

It's kind of like complaining that roads out of Telford signed as Newport don't take you to Monmouthshire. Or the Isle of Wight.
Steven
Motorway Historian

Founder Member, SABRE ex-Presidents' Corner

Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!

User avatar
Chris Bertram
Member
Posts: 15744
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2001 12:30
Location: Birmingham, England

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by Chris Bertram »

Steven wrote:Newcastle is the appropriate Primary Destination in that area though. It's not as if it's not a sizeable place either!

It's kind of like complaining that roads out of Telford signed as Newport don't take you to Monmouthshire. Or the Isle of Wight.
Newcastle-under-Lyme is big enough to be a borough in its own right, separate from its neighbour Stoke-on-Trent, and leaving Shrewsbury in that direction you will reach Newcastle before you get to Stoke.
“The quality of any advice anybody has to offer has to be judged against the quality of life they actually lead.” - Douglas Adams.

Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!
DavidBrown
Member
Posts: 8398
Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 00:35

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by DavidBrown »

Seems the appropriate thread for one that I saw yesterday that I just can't believe.

To anyone who doesn't know, it doesn't take a genius to work out what the quickest route is here if travelling west from Emerson's Green to the M32 along the A4174 Ring Road, even with the current roadworks. And, sure enough, that's how it was signed until at some point very recently. Now they want you to take this route. Anyone care to explain the logic?
User avatar
A42_Sparks
Member
Posts: 958
Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2003 23:20
Location: Ballymena, N Ireland

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by A42_Sparks »

What about 'Wakefield A61' being signed at the M621 junction coming out of Leeds? Then it dumps you at a little roundabout and you have to negotiate through several housing estates.
User avatar
lefthandedspanner
Member
Posts: 718
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2015 21:25
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by lefthandedspanner »

A42_Sparks wrote:What about 'Wakefield A61' being signed at the M621 junction coming out of Leeds? Then it dumps you at a little roundabout and you have to negotiate through several housing estates.
Presumably because "Wakefield via several unsigned roundabouts, a road which isn't the A61 but used to be, that eventually leads to the A61 at M621 junction 7" is too long to fit on a single sign.
A9NWIL
Member
Posts: 3319
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 02:36

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by A9NWIL »

DavidBrown wrote:Seems the appropriate thread for one that I saw yesterday that I just can't believe.

To anyone who doesn't know, it doesn't take a genius to work out what the quickest route is here if travelling west from Emerson's Green to the M32 along the A4174 Ring Road, even with the current roadworks. And, sure enough, that's how it was signed until at some point very recently. Now they want you to take this route. Anyone care to explain the logic?
Wow they want you to travel an extra 20km! You are likely to use about 2 extra litres of fuel doing that! For a council that wants to be more environmentally friendly they arent thinking too well.
I suppose if you want the M4 east then you will just think, oh well Im at the next junction now, but for the M4 west or using the M32 to get into the city thats a useless route!
Formerly known as 'lortjw'
User avatar
Bryn666
Elected Committee Member
Posts: 35754
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 20:54
Contact:

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by Bryn666 »

lefthandedspanner wrote:
A42_Sparks wrote:What about 'Wakefield A61' being signed at the M621 junction coming out of Leeds? Then it dumps you at a little roundabout and you have to negotiate through several housing estates.
Presumably because "Wakefield via several unsigned roundabouts, a road which isn't the A61 but used to be, that eventually leads to the A61 at M621 junction 7" is too long to fit on a single sign.
Who's using the A61 out of Leeds for that anyway? Surely you'd go down to M1 J41 and come off there!
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.

Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
User avatar
lefthandedspanner
Member
Posts: 718
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2015 21:25
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Destinations along convoluted routes

Post by lefthandedspanner »

Bryn666 wrote:
lefthandedspanner wrote:
A42_Sparks wrote:What about 'Wakefield A61' being signed at the M621 junction coming out of Leeds? Then it dumps you at a little roundabout and you have to negotiate through several housing estates.
Presumably because "Wakefield via several unsigned roundabouts, a road which isn't the A61 but used to be, that eventually leads to the A61 at M621 junction 7" is too long to fit on a single sign.
Who's using the A61 out of Leeds for that anyway? Surely you'd go down to M1 J41 and come off there!
Non-motorway traffic, for one; though the most direct route within the city is the A639 (ex-A61), which only shows signs for Rothwell and Pontefract until you get to the edge of the urban area.
Post Reply