B5044

Towards Silverdale

The B5044 is a reasonably short and unimportant road heading west out of Newcastle-under-Lyme into its western urban villages. Its route largely shadows that of the A525; indeed, it starts and ends on that road.

Starting on the A525 (numbered A53 until the mid-1920s), Pool Dam, on the edge of Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre, it heads west out of town beside the Lyme Brook and past the site of Newcastle's castle. After about 1/4 mile, the road almost meets the B5367; a very short link road connects the two. Indeed, traffic heading into Newcastle is directed from here onto the B5367 as the latter road ends on a roundabout rather than a T-junction (B5044 traffic has to turn left onto the A525).

The B5044 continues for about the same distance again, until it meets the B5368 at a set of traffic lights. It passes the cemetery at this point and loses its semi-rural aspect, heading into Silverdale.

On the ground, the route of the B5044 in Silverdale is not immediately obvious. Two roads (Newcastle Street and Mill Street) run more or less in parallel and through traffic can therefore take either. However, the road layout emphasises travel along Mill Street (which is liberally scattered with speed bumps), even though the B5044 actually heads along Newcastle Street. The B5044 passes the site of Crown Street railway station and changes its name to Church Street, named after St Luke's Church which the road soon passes. At this point, the road bends and heads back to Silverdale High Street (the western continuation of Mill Street). The B5044 travels west along this road, crossing the old Newcastle to Market Drayton railway line, before turning left at a mini-roundabout and leaving Silverdale behind.

The road climbs over a hill (the railway tunnelled through it) before dropping down on the other side to reach the A525 Keele bypass where the B5044 ends. Before the building of the bypass, the B5044 continued for a short distance further to meet the original line of the A525.