B703
B703 | |||||||
Location Map ( geo) | |||||||
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From: | Newtongrange (NT333639) | ||||||
To: | Eskbank (NT325667) | ||||||
Distance: | 2 miles (3.2 km) | ||||||
Meets: | A7, B6482, A6094, A768, B6392 | ||||||
Former Number(s): | A7 | ||||||
Old route now: | A768 | ||||||
Highway Authorities | |||||||
Traditional Counties | |||||||
Route outline (key) | |||||||
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The B703 is a short out-of-zone B-road through the towns to the south and west of Dalkeith, Midlothian.
Route
The route starts at a T junction on the A7 in Newtongrange and heads north past the shops on Main Street, which is the original line of the A7. Beyond the shops, a church stands in a small park, and then houses line the roadside before another small group of shops is reached. The B703 then crosses the B6482 at a double mini-roundabout, which takes the pre-bypass A7 away to the west for a time. Still running north, the route follows Newbattle Road which soon enters open country and descends to cross the River South Esk adjacent to the old Newbattle Bridge. There are some large, old houses around the bridge, including Newbattle Abbey which stands back in expansive grounds on the north side of the river, as well as some modern housing estates, with the road snaking gently as it climbs up the hill. Midway up the climb, a narrow section runs between tall stone walls, giving the impression of a deep cutting, although the ridges of roofs can be seen poking over the top.
At the top of the hill, the route crosses a mini roundabout in front of the cemetery, and then continues northwest along Newbattle Road, through the leafy suburbs of Eskbank. There are some large houses here, hidden behind high walls and hedges, and also some modern estates, but few properties face onto the road. One of the busier side turnings, Abbey Road leading into Dalkeith town centre, is signalised, but otherwise Newbattle Road continues, climbing again, to end at the 6-way Eskbank Toll roundabout in the centre of Eskbank. Here it meets the A6094, A768 and B6392 (another pre-bypass section of the A7).
History
None of the current route of the B703 was classified as such in 1922, but there is a continuous history. Originally the B703 started at Eskbank Toll (its current northern end) and headed west via Loanhead to end on the A701 near Bilston. By 1928 it had been extended south to Newtongrange, and along the pre-bypass A7, to its current southern terminus. By 1932, however, the original section of the route had been upgraded to Class I status, becoming the A768, which it remains. The Newtongrange bypass road itself appears to be shown on the OS Six Inch map from 1915, and earlier, but the A7 was initially routed through the village.