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B704

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B704
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (5)
From:  Lasswade (NT305662)
To:  Gorebridge (NT344611)
Distance:  4.2 miles (6.8 km)
Meets:  A768, A6094, B6392, A7, B6372
Old route now:  B6372
Highway Authorities

Midlothian

Traditional Counties

Midlothian

Route outline (key)
B704 Lasswade - Gorebridge
B704 Gorebridge - Penicuik

The B704 is a short B-road in east Midlothian.

Route

Towards the River South Esk

The route starts at a signalised fork junction on the A768 (former B703) in Lasswade, and heads south along Hillhead. The route is immediately climbing out of the North Esk Valley, running through trees to reach Bonnyrigg, where it runs through the leafy suburbs before a slight kink brings it onto the High Street. Shops line both sides of the road, with a variety of architecture above the shop fronts. At the end of the High Street, the A6094 is crossed at traffic lights at Bonnyrigg Toll. The route then continues southeast alogn Dundas Street, passing a few more shops before houses take over once more. After crossing an old railway line, now a cycle route, a small industrial area stands on the left, with the houses opposite set back behind a service road. modern estates, mostly backing on to Cockpen Road as it slowly drifts downhill. The edge of the town is reached at the Cockpen Road Roundabout on the B6392 Bonnyrigg bypass.

Now more-or-less in open country, the route passes an isolated church set in a large cemetery, before crossing a stream on Cockpen Bridge and then the River South Esk on Dalhousie Bridge. A steady winding climb then lifts the wide road up through trees and across a couple of fields as it curves around the southern edge of Newtongrange, skirting an industrial estate, to reach the A7 at Newtonloan Crossroads. This junction is controlled by traffic lights, with the B704 continuing ahead, putting the route out of zone. After a slight kink to the right, the route then heads southeast along the straight New Hunterfield into into Gorebridge. There is a long row of semi detached properties on the right, but at first the modern estate on the left sits down a tree lined bank with no frontages onto the main road. Soon, however, houses sit on both sides of the road, interspersed with shops and other businesses and facilities. Hunterfield Road then curves right onto Main Street, passing the main shopping area, with a sharp left curve over the Waverley Railway Line onto Station Road. The route ends soon after on the B6372, where that route has to TOTSO.

History

The B704 reached Penicuik in 1932

Originally, the B704 followed the strict 1922 classification rules and only existed to the west of the A7. However, it appears that it was soon extended out of zone, being marked on the revised MOT map from 1927/8, before the B6372 had reached Gorebridge. The 1932 OS ten mile map to the left also shows that the B704 had been extended south through Gorebridge and then west to Penicuik (presumably ending on the A766). This meant that the lengthened route followed three sides of a rough square, including the short out of zone section through Gorebridge. This extension did not last that long, however, as the road from Gorebridge to Penicuik became the B6372 in 1935, cutting the B704 back to its current length, albeit still partially out of zone.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Junction with A7 South of Newton Grance - Lasswade - Junction with B703
An official document from 16/05/1935 details the following changes: Curtailed. Section from junction with B6372 at Gorebridge to Temple, Upper Side, Pomarthorn and NW of Penicuik renumbered as B6372.





B704
Junctions
Crossings
Roads
Related Pictures
View gallery (5)
Give Way! - Geograph - 1578718.jpgThe B704 heading towards the River South Esk - Geograph - 1379998.jpgCockpen Road B704 west of Bonnyrigg Bypass - Geograph - 1745945.jpgDalhousie Bridge - Geograph - 3512077.jpgBridge over the South Esk, Dalhousie - Geograph - 4388215.jpg
B700 – B799
B700 • B701 • B702 • B703 • B704 • B705 • B706 • B707 • B708 • B709 • B710 • B711 • B712 • B713 • B714 • B715 • B716 • B717 • B718 • B719
B720 • B721 • B722 • B723 • B724 • B725 • B726 • B727 • B728 • B729 • B730 • B731 • B732 • B733 • B734 • B735 • B736 • B737 • B738 • B739
B740 • B741 • B742 • B743 • B744 • B745 • B746 • B747 • B748 • B749 • B750 • B751 • B752 • B753 • B754 • B755 • B756 • B757 • B758 • B759
B760 • B761 • B762 • B763 • B764 • B765 • B766 • B767 • B768 • B769 • B770 • B771 • B772 • B773 • B774 • B775 • B776 • B777 • B778 • B779
B780 • B781 • B782 • B783 • B784 • B785 • B786 • B787 • B788 • B789 • B790 • B791 • B792 • B793 • B794 • B795 • B796 • B797 • B798 • B799
Earlier versions: B705 • B706 • B707 • B708 • B713(E) • B713(W) • B714 • B715 • B716 • B724 • B727 • B730 • B734
B735 • B736 • B739 (S) • B739 (N) • B743 • B744 • B746 • B752 • B761 • B762 • B763 • B765 • B773 • B783 • B785 • B789 • B791 • B795
Anomalous numbers: B77

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