White Cross (Brent Knoll)

This article is about the Junction on the A38 at the Fox and Goose, Brent Knoll.
For other junctions called White Cross, see White Cross.

The Junction at White Cross, at the eastern end of Brent Knoll Village is also known locally as 'The Fox and Goose', after the historic Inn that sits at the junction. While the cross road may not be classified, it is still a very busy junction with traffic turning into Brent Street for Brent Knoll, or Harp Road for Mark, Wedmore and the surrounding villages.

There are also minor crossing points for access to the garage immediately north of the Fox and Goose, and while the main junction is limited access, it appears to be possible to leave / enter the garage from either direction.

History

The long central island at the junction is a reminder that this junction used to lie on a short piece of dual-carriageway, presumably pre-dating the construction of the M5. It survived into the early 1990s, by which time it had become a notorious accident blackspot, and within the space of a few years first the A38 was reduced to D1, and then the right turn into Brent Knoll (or straight on from Harp Road) was removed, forcing traffic to do a U-turn at the nearby Edithmead Interchange. Whilst this has undoubtedly made the junction safer, it also significantly adds to the journey when traffic is heavy.

When Sanders Garden World was constructed a little further north on the A38, plans were suggested to provide another roundabout here and so close up White Cross to all turning traffic. These plans rose their head again when expansion of the site was planned, but to date have not been carried out.