B4368
| B4368 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Location Map ( geo) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| From: | Morville (SO669941) | ||||||||||||||||||
| To: | Abermule Bypass (SO162947) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Via: | Craven Arms, Clun | ||||||||||||||||||
| Distance: | 44.7 miles (71.9 km) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Meets: | A458, B4378, B4365, A49, B4367, B4369, B4385, A488, A489, B4386 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Former Number(s): | B4372 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Old route now: | B4378 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Highway Authorities | |||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Counties | |||||||||||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Route
The B4368 is a very long B-road crossing the English/Welsh border.
It starts in Morville, west of Bridgnorth, Shropshire, at a junction with the A458, and heads west. It crosses the Mor Brook almost immediately before climbing up to Aston Eyre. After passing Monkhopton it descends into Corvedale. It crosses the River Corve before meeting the B4378.
The B4368 continues downstream along Corvedale, starting to climb out of the valley near Munslow. The B4365, which turns off at Pedlar's Rest, continues along the Corve but the B4368 heads west and over the hills to cross the River Onny into Craven Arms, a place of some importance outweighing its size. There is a short multiplex south along the A49 between a mini-roundabout and a full-size one. The B4368 then continues west and quickly goes under the Welsh Marches Line.
A couple of miles later the road reaches Aston-on-Clun and the river of the same name. The valley is followed upstream for some distance. The B4368 is the dominant number in a multiplex with the B4385 from Little Brampton to Purslow, after which the B4568 goes through Clunton before reaching the town of Clun.
The road reaches a T-junction on the A488 in Clun High Street. There is therefore a multiplex south along the A488, which includes a crossing of the narrow bridge over the River Clun, before the B4368 turns right immediately afterwards and regains its number and route along the river.
The road follows the edge of the valley, crossing the river en route at Newcastle. As the road climbs the valley becomes narrower and eventually the road passes the source of the Clun near the hamlet of Anchor, at a height of over 1200 feet. The road then descends to cross the Rhuddwr Brook into Wales. It passes through forested land and turns, via a number of tight bends, to head northerly. The road then descends steeply to Glanmule, where it crosses the A489 at a long staggered crossroads.
The road crosses the Mule River before crossing a hill and reaching the same river again. It follows the valley downstream into Abermule, in the valley of the River Severn. After going across a level crossing on the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth railway line the road reaches a T-junction on the B4386 (pre-bypass A483). The road ends here.
History
The B4368 is described in the 1922 Road Lists as Clun - Craven Arms - Much Wenlock.
At the eastern end, the B4368 originally started on the A458 in Much Wenlock and headed south along what is now the B4378 to Shipton to meet its current route. The road east from Shipton to Morville was originally the B4372.
At the western end, the B4368 ended on the A488 in Clun. The extension to Abermule together with the rerouting at the eastern end took place in 1935, giving the road its current route.
