Definitive Roads Map (A26, specifically)

[Notters]

Hi All. I contacted the Ordnance Survey to query why their 1:25,000 map shows the A26 running through the centre of Tunbridge Wells (Mount Pleasant Road / Vale Road). As far as I'm aware this hasn't been the case since, perhaps, the mid-80s (correct me if I'm wrong!)

They have asked for evidence of this - is there anywhere I can get a definitive roads map?

I should add that Sabre Roads is usually my first port of call for any such info.
I've been lurking on here for years - didn't realise I even had an account!

[ravenbluemoon]

Welcome to SABRE!

The best place to look is on the Find My Street website - on there you can see what class (A,B,C,Unclassifed) the road is.

Our Wiki also might help identify your roads if they're Class III - Kent_Council_(Class_III_roads) - we generally get the information from the relevant council, so it depends on when we did the traces and whether or not they've changed anything in the meantime!

(Edited to fix bad Wiki link)

[Micro The Maniac]

I appreciate that neither are definitive, but both Google Maps and OSM show Grosvenor Road and Mount Pleasant Road as part tertiary road and part unclassified, and only the left hand branch as still A26.

[Notters]

Thanks both - I did email the Kent CC Highways department a couple of weeks ago but haven't had a response.

Imagine they've got far more important things to be doing.

Interestingly 'Find My Street' says 'classification - A Road' but that may be derived from the Ordnance Survey?

[ravenbluemoon]

I appreciate that neither are definitive, but both Google Maps and OSM show Grosvenor Road and Mount Pleasant Road as part tertiary road and part unclassified, and only the left hand branch as still A26.

Looks like the tertiary road is the C385, but there's nothing else on our Wiki about it (yet).

[MotorwayGuy]

I'm not familiar with the history of the roads in that area, but it looks like the current route that is signed as the A26 bypassed the original route through the town and therefore it would have lost its classification upon completion. The only reason for both being the A26 is if it operated as a one-way system at some point, but that certainly hasn't been the case for a few decades at least and the route though town is restricted to buses and cycles during the day. Not that that it would be unique for a two digit A road to be under such restrictions, but it would make no sense in this instance.

[Nathan_A_RF]

OSM is correct as far as I know. Not sure why OS have that layout. The map has always been strange in Tunbridge Wells. Some maps even have a Z bend route of the A26 on that new bypass route for some reason. The signage is correct on the route OSM shows for the road, which makes a change for Kent County Council...

[Notters]

Yes, I'm looking at the Z bend now and scratching my head!

So this is the message received from OS - how can I respond in a way that will convince them (though you would think it would be their job to check these things)?

Sorry to hear there is an error in our mapping.

Please can you send me photos/ screenshots of the mapping you are looking at and the evidence of the declassification of this.

This will allow me to look into this for you.

Kind regards,

[Fluid Dynamics]

Yes the primary Z route is strange. It's on my current online OS map too. As a local noone ever uses that as a route so it is a bit odd?

You can't really categorise the current A26 as a bypass as it was there on the 1922-33 MoT map and certainly doesn't look new on the ground. And its at a crawl for much of the day.

[Chris5156]

Yes the primary Z route is strange. It's on my current online OS map too. As a local noone ever uses that as a route so it is a bit odd?

It's also neither primary nor signposted as part of the A26!

[Micro The Maniac]

Yes the primary Z route is strange. It's on my current online OS map too. As a local noone ever uses that as a route so it is a bit odd?

Again, on the other sources, it's shown as part of the A264 - the red straight ahead bit is the A26

[Nathan_A_RF]

It's also neither primary nor signposted as part of the A26!

Yet it isn't the A21...