A5005

The A5005 is a short, largely urban A-road. It forms part of the direct route between Longton (part of Stoke-on-Trent) and Stone.

The A5005 originally started on the A50 adjacent to Longton Town Hall before running southwards along The Strand. However, the one-way system and the building of the A50 bypass has shortened the A5005 and it now starts adjacent to the bypass at the Longton junction. The exact spot the road begins is not obvious as the road signs claim the overbridge is A5005, A5035 and A50! Heading southwards from this junction, the A5005 is signposted past Longton Library to the next roundabout, although this road is part of the A50 offslip in the other direction.

Leaving Longton

Now with no confusion over its number, the A5005 heads through the outer suburbs of Longton before reaching the B5038 at a roundabout in the unusually named suburb of Florence. A coal mine used to stand to the west of the road but its site is now a housing estate.

The street name of the A5005 is Lightwood Road for its entire length and the suburb of Lightwood is eventually reached about half way along the road. The Lightwood Hoard of Roman coins was found here in the 1960s and is now to be found in the Potteries Museum. Although still obviously suburban, Lightwood is right on the edge of the urban area and fields can be seen beyond the houses to the west of the road. The road climbs and eventually open country is reached.

We continue to climb through a wooded cutting and past another row of houses on each side of the road before passing some more fields and descending to a crossroads next to a primary school. Although insignificant, this junction marks the city boundary.

After leaving Stoke, the A5005 crosses Barlaston Common, an area of heathland, before entering the village of Rough Close. The A5005 ends here on a mini-roundabout on the A520. A minor road signposted Barlaston also meets this roundabout.