B1337
| B1337 | |||||||||||||
| Location Map ( geo) | |||||||||||||
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| From: | Clifton (NZ212875) | ||||||||||||
| To: | Widdrington (NZ254952) | ||||||||||||
| Distance: | 10.3 miles (16.6 km) | ||||||||||||
| Meets: | A1, B6524, A192, A197, A1068 | ||||||||||||
| Former Number(s): | A1, A197 | ||||||||||||
| Old route now: | A1068, B1330, B6345 | ||||||||||||
| Primary Destinations | |||||||||||||
| Highway Authorities | |||||||||||||
| Traditional Counties | |||||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | |||||||||||||
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The B1337 is a largely rural B-road, mainly to the northeast of Morpeth. It had been shortened considerably from its original route but has recently had an extension to its southern end.
The road starts on the A1 at the southern end of the Morpeth bypass, where there are only south-facing slip roads. It then heads north along the former A197 (and A1 before that) to pass Northumberland County Hall and reach the outskirts of Morpeth. It runs through a park to reach a roundabout on the A192. There is then a multiplex north along the A192 over the River Wansbeck into the town centre. At a mini-roundabout the B1337 regains its number by turning right. It then bears left then right again to leave town before skirting a loop of the river and then climbing up to a roundabout. This is the road's original southernmost point, on the A197 between Morpeth and Pegswood. It then heads northeast, going round the golf course at Longhirst and then going through the village of Ulgham (pronounced Uffam) and then entering Widdrington Station. Unlike many places in the region with the suffix "Station", the railway station here is still in use, albeit only seeing a few trains every day (this is the East Coast Main Line, however, and the line itself is very busy). The road crosses the railway at a level crossing by the station before continuing to a roundabout where it ends on the A1068.
This has been the northern end of the B1337 since the 1960s when it was moved south from the centre of Widdrington village (the old route of the A1068, which passed to the east of Widdrington Castle, is now untraceable). However, in 1922 the B1337 continued north for about another 15 more miles.
Leaving Widdrington behind, the B1337 passed through Togston before reaching Amble. It crossed the River Coquet in Warkworth and the River Aln in Lesbury before heading west to end on the A1 in Alnwick. In the 1920s this road was upgraded to Class I status as part of the mighty A1068. More recently, the A1068 has been rerouted to bypass Togston; the ex-B1337 there has now become the B1330 and an extended B6345.
