Road Numbering in Cirencester 1935-1981

[Graham]

I have been trying to get my head around the numbering of roads in the centre of Cirencester between 1935 (the re-routing of the A417 and A419) and 1981 (the date of the earliest map I am aware of that shows all roads in the centre of the town as de-classified).

We all know that the A417 and A419 were renumbered as part of the 1935 revision. What is not so clear, however, is how these two roads were linked. The wiki states that the two roads cannoned off each other in the centre of the town, but this is incorrect - the A417 followed the northern bypass, and the A419 followed the southern route , leaving a substantial gap. One obvious link road is what was formerly part of the A419, right through the Market Place, but what was the number of this road after 1935? I have always assumed that this road was a spur of the A417 or the A419, but the road is not numbered on any one-inch, quarter-inch or ten-mile map, as far as I am aware.

This leaves the 1:25,000 map. I have recently acquired a copy of the 1957 printing of this map, and this seems to answer the question. The main NW-SE axis, formerly the A419, is numbered as an extension of the A435. There is a spur of the A417, but it follows London Road (originally part of the A429) and Victoria Road. This particular arrangement appears to date from some time between 1948 (when Victoria Road was unclassified) and 1952 - this can be seen on SABRE maps.

It seems to me that the most likely explanation is that the ex-A419 through the centre of the town became the A435 in 1935, and the spur of the A417 came into being in around 1950. Does anyone have any additional information / ideas?

What is clear is that the A435 went through the centre of the town for quite some time - the 1978 edition of the 1:50,000 map is a riot of A-roads, with all the 1957 roads still in place, plus the (then-new) eastern and southern bypasses, plus several gyratories/one-way systems. This all changed by 1981, when all the roads inside the bypass are shown as unclassified.

[rileyrob]

The 1949 Six Inch Map (revised in 1938) appears to show the A417 having a lengthy spur along Watermoor Road from the market place to the station: https://maps.nls.uk/view/102342848 It could do with a couple more labels, but I can't see what else it is trying to show. It also shows a B4004 which isn't on the wiki.

The 1960 edition has more labels, and is perhaps more confusing: https://maps.nls.uk/view/189235170 The A435 now runs along Watermoor Road, and is the dominant number in the A417 multiplex, while the A417 has a (detached) spur along the former B4004 Victoria Road. The A429 is also labelled as dominant on its multiplex with the A417, and has a loop around Castle Street.

By 1972 the northern relief road is open and labelled as the A417: https://maps.nls.uk/view/189235170. The A435 therefore gains a spur backwards along Gloucester Street, and all other routes look to have remained the same, including Victoria Road being a now fully detached spur of the A417.

I don't think this explains all of your queries, but hopefully it helps.

[Ross Spur]

By 1972 the northern relief road is open and labelled as the A417: https://maps.nls.uk/view/189235170. The A435 therefore gains a spur backwards along Gloucester Street, and all other routes look to have remained the same, including Victoria Road being a now fully detached spur of the A417.

This is the position shown on the town map in the 1965 AA Illustrated Road Book of England and Wales. The A417 follows Abbey Way and Grove Lane, with a spur along Victoria Road and Queen Street.

Abbey Way was named Abbey Road when it opened in 1925 to form the northern bypass along with Grove Lane. The 1929-32 OS Ministry of Transport Map shows it as A417 so it had the number early on.

I've no other town maps to help, the town is not included in Bartholomews Road atlases.

The 1977 Philips Road Atlas is the last one to show the town centre main roads, whereas the 1978 edition shows them as unclassified. This coincided with Bristol Road, the new Ring Road Southern section being shown (known then as the Western Relief Road). A report in the Bristol Evening Post of 31 August 1978 stated that it had opened more than a year ago. A 3 ton unladen weight limit in the town came into operation on 26 April 1977. I haven't managed to narrow down the date any further.

[rileyrob]

OK, yes I hadn't noticed the A417 label on Grove Lane on the 1960 map. But it isn't numbered at all on the earlier map. It doesn't show up particularly well as a road on the six inch map, and certainly doesn't look much like a main road. That's my excuse anyway!