A196
A196 | |||||||
Location Map ( geo) | |||||||
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From: | Morpeth (NZ207846) | ||||||
To: | Ashington (NZ274880) | ||||||
Distance: | 6 miles (9.7 km) | ||||||
Meets: | A192, A1068, A1147, B1334, A197 | ||||||
Former Number(s): | A1063 | ||||||
Old route now: | A1068 | ||||||
Primary Destinations | |||||||
Highway Authorities | |||||||
Traditional Counties | |||||||
Route outline (key) | |||||||
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The A196 is a short A-road in east Northumberland.
Route
The road starts at a roundabout on the A192 on the southern edge of Morpeth. The road heads east and crosses two branches of the same freight-only railway line to reach open country. The road continues through the fields and soon reaches the village of Guide Post where it crosses the A1068 at a roundabout. The road now remains urban for its remaining length.
After meeting the A1147 at another roundabout the road crosses the River Wansbeck. A railway viaduct (carrying another freight-only line) can clearly be seen to the right; this line is soon crossed at a level crossing just before a roundabout is reached. The road ahead, the B1334 heads to the A189 and Newbiggin but the A196 TOTSOs left.
The road continues north through the suburbs of Ashington, initially adjacent to the railway line but they soon diverge. Soon a roundabout is reached where the road ends on the A197 to the east of the town centre.
History
Originally the A196 started on the A195 (now A192) at Hartford Bridge and headed north to Guide Post before following its current route east then north via Bedlington to Ashington. As part of the renumbering of this area after World War II the section of A196 south of Guide Post was renumbered as part of an extended A1068 and the road rerouted along the entire length of the former A1063 to reach the A192 (renumbered A195) in Morpeth.