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B738

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B738
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (5)
From:  Dinvin (NX006549)
To:  Kirkcolm (NX029687)
Via:  Portslogan, Knocknain, Ervie
Distance:  15.1 miles (24.3 km)
Meets:  A77, B7043, B798, A718
Former Number(s):  A764, A718
Old route now:  A718
Highway Authorities

Dumfries and Galloway

Traditional Counties

Wigtownshire

Route outline (key)
B738 Dinvin - Kirkcolm
B738 Kirkcolm - Leswalt

The B738 is a somewhat roundabout route in the northern part of the Rhins of Galloway.

Route

Looking south on the B738 at Portslogan

The route starts at Dinvin, a little to the northeast of the pretty harbour village of Portpatrick on the Irish Sea coast of Wigtownshire, and heads north, climbing gently through woodland and out into fields beyond. The climb is somewhat sinuous, following a small burn upstream between low hills to cross the 100m contour just below the summit of Mc Cubbins Hill. For the next mile or so, the route winds northwards on a long summit level, passing the wooded New Loch which is almost completely hidden by trees. A handful of houses and farms can be seen from the roadside, with many more hidden in the folds of the hills to either side. A left turn drops steeply down to a lighthouse on the rugged shore, but the B738 climbs a little higher to reach an overall summit of 109m at the next junction. It turns westward here for a time, descending a little across fields with a view of the sea ahead.

This scattered community goes by the unusual name of Knock and Maize, and the route dips down to cross the Knock and Maize Burn, before following it upstream for a short distance. As the route becomes twistier, the white centre line disappears, although the road is still generally wide enough for two cars to pass. Rich farmland stretches across the undulating landscape towards the coast, with farms dotted amongst the fields, while the road winds ever northwards through the scattered community of Larbrax. Patches of woodland become denser as the road winds along a slight ledge on the edge of a slope, and soon after a tunnel of rhododendrons encloses the road, reducing it to single track, even if the tarmac below the overhanging bushes is wider. The worst of the bends come to an end, and the road is straighter as it passes through the woodland, at length meeting the B7043 at a TOTSO.

Turning left, the B738 continues to wind nortthwards across the undulating landscape, now free from the enclosing woodland and crossing open fields once more. The road is wider again, although still without a centre line, and in spring the verges are rich with wild flowers. Despite the proximity of the sea, the rolling fields lift up before dropping to the coast, meaning that there are only glimpses here and there. After a couple of miles, a sharp right turn at Cairnbrock leads onto a long, narrow straight heading inland with a series of crests and dips hiding any oncoming traffic. A sharp left turn at the far end turns the route northwards once more, but only briefly as it slowly turns back to the east passing a scattering of farms along the way. A second TOTSO near Ervie sees the B798 continue ahead to Leswalt, while the B738 turns left, crossing a boggy area before passing between two slight hills. A third TOTSO is then avoided by an acute right turn at another T junction.

Now heading east, the route takes a meandering route across the undulating landscape. There are a few short straights, a handful of passing places, but for the most part the road is slightly too narrow to pass traffic at speed, meaning progress is slow. A gentle descent begins after the farm of Balgown, and as the road slips down the slopes of Brown Hill it encounters a third TOTSO, this time with the unclassified road which turns left on its way out to Corsewall Point. Soon after the B738 turns to head south, winding slowly down the slight valley of the Corsewall Burn. The burn is crossed, and the route runs along the edge of some woodland into the small village of Kirkcolm, the largest settlement on the route. It follows the narrowing Main Street between brightly painted stone houses and comes to an end at an end-on junction with the A718 at the junction with Church Road (as acknowledged by the signpost facing the end of Church Road).

History

the shortened B738 in 1932

In 1922 the route followed its present route from Dinvin to Kirkcolm, but it continued further south, making its end-to-end junction with the A718 at Craigencross, just east of Leswalt, which is now a roundabout. By 1930 the B738 had been truncated at both ends. The junction between the B738 and the A718 (still an end-to-end meeting) having been moved north to the Corsewall Point turn (the B738 from Kirkcolm still TOTSOs here). Meanwhile the southern part of the route – from Dinvin as far as the junction with the Wigtownshire C10 (High Challoch Road from near Portslogan to Craigencross) – rather inexplicably became the A764.

This state of affairs continued until at least the 1970s, when the route of the A764 reverted to Class II status and Dinvin once again became the starting-point of the B738. Later still, the last 2 km of the A718 north of Kirkcolm were also downgraded, giving the B738 its current length.

The 1922 MOT Road List defines this route as: Port Patrick - Balsarroch - Kirkcolmn - Leswalt





B738
Places
Related Pictures
View gallery (5)
Geo B738.jpgJunction of the B798 and the B738 - Geograph - 1622983.jpgA minor road meets the B738 - Geograph - 1626738.jpgStorm damage to wood, North Rhins - Geograph - 164036.jpgRoad to Leswalt near Dinvin (C) Billy McCrorie - Geograph - 3821135.jpg
Other nearby roads
Portpatrick
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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