A601 (Luton - Bourn Bridge)
A601 | ||||||||||
Location Map ( geo) | ||||||||||
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From: | Luton (TL091211) | |||||||||
To: | Bourn Bridge (TL518490) | |||||||||
Distance: | 33.5 miles (53.9 km) | |||||||||
Met (1923): | A6, A600, A6000, A1, A507, A10, A14, A130, A11 | |||||||||
Now part of: | A505, B656 | |||||||||
Traditional Counties | ||||||||||
Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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For the current A601, which is the Derby Inner Ring Road, see A601.
For the motorway near Carnforth in Lancashire, see A601(M).
The A601 is described in the 1922 Road Lists as Luton - Hitchin - Baldock - Royston - Pampisford - Bourn Bridge and was therefore a cross-country route in southeast England.
Starting on the A6 George Street in Luton town centre, the A601 ran along Church Street to pass under two adjacent railway lines (the further one, the former Midland route, is still in existence) to leave town along Hitchin Road. There was a short multiplex along the A600 in Hitchin and another along the A1 in Baldock, after which the road followed the Icknield Way via Royston to end on the A11 at Bourn Bridge, near Great Abington.
In 1935, the A505, which originally ran from the A5 at Dunstable to Luton, was extended north east to the A11 and the A601 number went out of use. There have been a few bypasses since then and the road through Hitchin and Baldock is now the B656.