A165

The A165 runs along the Yorkshire coast from Hull to north of Scarborough but is rarely actually within sight of the sea.

Route

Crossing the River Hull

The road starts life as a dual-carriageway, leading away from the fledgling A1079 in the centre of Hull, along Freetown Way (opened in 1986), and then along the original B1235 which was later numbered A1163. After rejoining its original route (which is now unclassified) the road reverts to a dead straight single carriageway heading northeast out of town. It becomes dual again, then returns to single carriageway at the junction with the B1238 as it leaves the city.

Now heading more northerly, the road continues on a largely uninteresting stretch, which includes bypasses around the villages of Coniston and Long Riston, although the road still goes through the middle of South Skirlaugh. It meets the A1035 at a roundabout and veers to the right along the Leven and Brandesburton bypass, opened in 1994 (per an East Riding Museums leaflet on road history). This is dual-carriageway, though it doesn't really need to be as it's quite quiet; however it's still better than the tight bends through Leven. Incidentally, it's the second time Brandesburton has been bypassed - the original road passed straight through the village but a newer one was built around it in 1925/26, albeit with a sudden 90-degree bend back on to the old road. Now both are bypassed. Halfway along, another roundabout sees the end of the A1035 multiplex, as that road heads off to the coast at Hornsea.

Now single-carriageway again, the road carries on through the village of Beeford, then picks up the B1242 coast road beyond Lissett. Next we reach Wilsthorpe Roundabout where the A165 used to go straight ahead. However, it now goes left, along Bridlington Bay Road to meet the A614. Part of this was actually originally the A165, before it was diverted to head into Bridlington along Kingsgate (which opened on 31 July 1923), to then TOTSO at a junction with the A1038, then out again. However, it now turns right at a new roundabout with the A614 (originally A166) before meeting the A1038, which had previously been the A165. Despite being diverted in the early 2010s, most maps did not show this until the late 2010s.

Around Bridlington we go

We skirt around the town to a double roundabout with the B1423 and B1255. We TOTSO again there, and head north into North Yorkshire, along the 2008-built Reighton bypass.

We continue north around Filey (which the A165 has always bypassed), meeting the A1039 in three separate places, and on to the village of Osgodby. A bypass has been built here - quite eerie because another village called Osgodby in the same county was to get a bypass at the same time, though this time the road was the A63. However, unlike this Osgodby, the A63 bypass has yet to be built. The old route of the A165 via Osgodby was initially kept open following the opening of the bypass, but is now closed to through traffic south of the village due to subsidence at Cayton Bay. We go forward into the centre of Scarborough, where the road loses its primary status to the A64 which ends on the A165 by the station.

We then continue north along an upgraded route within Scarborough. After passing to the east of Scalby we meet the A171 Scarborough - Middlesborough road at Burniston where the A165 ends. This non-primary section north of Scarborough was originally the B1262 but became the A165 in the mid-1920s.

History

Kingston-upon-Hull changes

Freetown Way at the Wright Street junction at Hull

The road was re-routed along Witham, over North Bridge, along George Street and then Freetown Way in Hull when the latter opened in 1986. Freetown Way was known as the North Orbital Road and was dual carriageway. The section from Blundell's Corner to Worship Street was opened on 7 April 1986. The section eastwards to George Street was to be opened on 17 June 1986 by Victor Summer, High Commissioner of Sierra Leone (per Hull Daily Mail of 5 June 1986). The contractor was Clugston Construction of Scunthorpe, contract cost £1.8 million.

Opening dates

Dates for all new bypass sections, with associated maps, can be seen at A165/Improvements Timeline.