B5203
| B5203 | ||||||||||
| Location Map ( geo) | ||||||||||
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| From: | Gillar's Green (SJ475948) | |||||||||
| To: | Rainford Bypass (SD468021) | |||||||||
| Via: | Rainford | |||||||||
| Distance: | 5.6 miles (9 km) | |||||||||
| Meets: | B5201, A580, A570, B5205, A570 | |||||||||
| Former Number(s): | B5202, A570 | |||||||||
| Old route now: | A580 | |||||||||
| Highway Authorities | ||||||||||
| Traditional Counties | ||||||||||
| Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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The B5203 is a largely rural B-road in south Lancashire.
The road starts on the B5201 at Gillar's Green, in the fields between Knowsley Safari Park and Eccleston, and heads north passing few buildings and even fewer side roads before reaching the A580 and being compelled to turn left (traffic heading the other way can turn right from the A580 onto the B5203).
Prior to 1934 the A580 did not exist. Instead at this point the B5203 turned sharply left and continued on for a short distance to end on the B5202. When the A580 was built this took over a short section of the B5203 (and quite long section of the B5202) and the whole section of the B5202 north of the new road was renumbered as an extension of the B5203. As such, there is a short multiplex west along the A-road to the next roundabout where the B5203 turns right and regains its number.
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The road continues north along similar terrain to the first section of the road. To vary the monotony there is a bend to the right at the next road junction, a mile further on. The next road junction, another mile on, is a roundabout where the road crosses the A570 Rainford bypass. The road then enters the village where it reaches a T-junction.
This is the northern end of the 1930s extension, where the road ended on the pre-bypass A570. However, the road has now been extended along most of the old line of the A-road. The B5203 therefore TOTSOs left onto Church Road, which is a 20 zone. After passing the church the road meets the B5205 at a mini-roundabout and continues north along Ormskirk Road. The 20 zone ends not far beyond the junction but the traffic calming does not. The B5203 leaves town before ending a the northern end of the A570 bypass just to the south of a railway bridge on the Wigan to Kirkby line.