A220
A220 | ||||
Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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From: | Bexley (TQ500743) | |||
To: | Erith (TQ511780) | |||
Distance: | 2.8 miles (4.5 km) | |||
Meets: | A2, A223, A207, A221, A206 | |||
Old route now: | A221 | |||
Highway Authorities | ||||
Traditional Counties | ||||
Route outline (key) | ||||
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Route
Zone 2 is the smallest zone of all. As Zone 2 takes up as much as seven-eighths of BR's old Southern Region, it is also very dense, in fact the densest of all the zones. This is shown via roads like the A220, which are quite urban, which in other zones would have a Axxxx number as they are less dense; though with Zone 7 being the least dense, this would not happen ever.
Bexley - Erith
On to the road itself and the road starts on the Black Prince Interchange. This junction is a dumbbell-partial cloverleaf hybrid. The A223 TOTSOs and we head north near to parkland. This piece of parkland contains Hall Place which has a museum and attractive gardens. We soon hit the urban bit and we meet the A207 at Bexleyheath which is D2 at this point. This piece of dual carriageway, Albion Road, together with the A221 Arnsburg Way to the north, has allowed Bexleyheath town centre to be pedestrianised.
We have a short multiplex with the A207 between adjacent sets of traffic lights. At the Marriott Hotel (formerly Swallow Hotel) the A207 comes in from the left and at the next set of traffic lights where it leaves, we see the former Woolwich bank building, now a council office. The Woolwich building caused quite a sensation in the area when first built in the late 1980s. After all that, we enter a wider piece of road and soon meet the spur of the A221 (formerly the western end of the A220) from the centre of Bexleyheath. This marks our last classified road until the end at Erith.
We're now on the way towards Erith. We pass Bexleyheath Bus Garage on our right (owned by GO Ahead London) and we gradually descend, crossing over the railway near Barnehurst station. Near this spot is the Red Barn public house, which has a blue plaque commemorating the start of British Traditional Jazz. This marks our last major place on this road. Since we in suburbia, this road isn't the fastest in the world. On our left is the part woodland / part open space of Burstead Woods (good sweet chestnuts) and we climb up to Northumberland Heath. There follow some shopping parades and the road gradually descends and bends to the right into Erith. This takes about 10 minutes, maybe 20. The A206 ascends to our left and officially the A220 finishes here. For continuity we will cross the railway and join the roundabout with the A2016 and B252 by Erith Town Hall. Erith to be honest is a wee bit of a dump but the town is being redeveloped. There is a small museum and a pier leading out into the Thames (a lot nicer than it sounds). The railway station is nice and is one of the originals that opened with the railway in 1842.
If this doesn't inspire you to go to Erith, your options are this if you want to go somewhere else. The A206 West will take you to Abbey Wood, Woolwich, the A102 and Greenwich. The A2016, you use to get to Woolwich quickly.
Original Author(s): A Beaton and A221 Driver
A220 | ||||
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