A40/Witney - Cheltenham
A40 | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
From: | Witney (SP287101) | |||||||||
To: | Cheltenham (SO956216) | |||||||||
Via: | Northleach | |||||||||
Meets: | B4047, B4020, A361, B4425, A429, A436, A435, A46, B4075 | |||||||||
Primary Destinations | ||||||||||
Highway Authorities | ||||||||||
Counties | ||||||||||
Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
|
The section of the A40 from Witney through the Cotswolds to Cheltenham is largely unimproved and notable only for the Northleach roundabout (crossing the A429 Fosse Way) and the long winding three-lane section into Charlton Kings. We travel across the top of the Windrush valley with its views to our right, and soon enter the outskirts of Burford. The A40 has always kept to the south of Burford along its current route and has never passed through the centre of the town. The long A361 crosses here on its long trek across southern Britain and the Cotswold Wildlife Park is a short drive down the A361 towards Lechlade. We now head off into the Cotswolds proper, passing the junction with the B4425 (ex A433) towards Bibury and Cirencester. We carry on, passing the remote "Inn for All Seasons" hotel and RAF Rissington. A few miles past here, at the point of two old derelict petrol stations, are some signs almost constantly covered which show the road being closed due to snow.
We now reach the start of the Northleach bypass, completed in 1984. Northleach is a picturesque Cotswold town which deserved its bypass long before it got it. The A429 Fosse Way crosses halfway. There is a short section of dual carriageway just before the drop down to the Frogmill junction with the A436. A40 through traffic to Gloucester can avoid Cheltenham by turning off onto the A436 (which has a short spur to cut the corner off).
The A40 now continues to Andoversford which is also bypassed, even though it's hard to tell. If you enter the village you can see the old line of the A40. From here we take the trip down the hill and past Dowdeswell Reservoir into Charlton Kings. We pass through here and towards Cheltenham itself. The A435 joins us from the left here.