Rufus Stone
Rufus Stone | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
Turn off for Rufus Stone heading north | |||
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Location | |||
Minstead | |||
County | |||
Hampshire | |||
Highway Authority | |||
National Highways | |||
Junction Type | |||
Give Way Slip. Eastbound only | |||
Roads Joined | |||
A3 | |||
Rufus Stone, as far as roads are concerned, refers to a section of the A31 which sticks out because it is built to a lower standard than the road to the west, and especially when compared with the motorway to the east.
The westbound carriageway here is the original, and had a number of minor turns, including the entrance to Castle Malwood and the road towards Minstead. These were positioned at the top of a climb (Castle Malwood Hill) and on a bend. Another exit led to Rufus's Stone, hence the name.
A new eastbound carriageway was built on a straighter alignment in the 1960s. Where the two carriageways separated and then returned, each end had a right turn, effectively turning Castle Malwood into a giant gyratory system. The eastbound right turn was closed following the construction of Cadnam Interchange, but the westbound right turn - used to access Rufus Stone - remains and is one of few right turns remaining on the dualled A31. Due to its history, it is not a direct right turn, but instead requires right-turning traffic to make a U-turn and then take the immediate left.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
Winchester, Bournemouth, Cadnam, Minstead, Stoney Cross, Emery Down, Ringwood | Eastbound carriageway, but westbound destinations are listed too as there is no turning opportunity. | |
Ringwood, Bournemouth, Poole | ||
Rufus Stone | Width Restriction 6'6". No HGVs |