A6 road
Encyclopedia
The A6 is one of the main historic north south roads in England
. It currently runs from Luton
in Bedfordshire
to Carlisle in Cumbria
, although it formerly started at a junction with the A1 at Barnet
.
Running north west from Luton, the road travels through Bedford, bypasses Rushden
, Kettering
and Market Harborough
, continues through Leicester
, Loughborough
, Derby
and Matlock before going through the Peak District
to Bakewell
, Buxton
, Stockport
, Manchester
, Salford, Pendleton
, Irlams o' th' Height
, Pendlebury
, Swinton
, Walkden
, Little Hulton
, Bolton
, Chorley
, Preston, Lancaster
, Kendal
and Penrith
before reaching Carlisle.
South of Derby, the road is paralleled by the M1 motorway
, and north of Manchester the M6
and M61
motorways approximate its course. Between Derby and Manchester the A6 follows a completely different routing to the motorway network, crossing the Peak District
rather than going around it. Because of these duplications, the A6 is less important than formerly.
, part of the Luton inner ring road. This becomes Guildford Street and passes near the railway station
. It leaves the ring road and crosses under the Midland Main Line, becoming New Bedford Road. It meets the A5228 outer ring road at a roundabout. On the outskirts of Luton as Barton Road, it passes the BP
Streatley
Express station on the left and Texaco
Barton Road Service Station just after the Grasmere Road roundabout where it meets the Icknield Way Path
. At the next roundabout, there is a Sainsbury's
at the Bramingham Park Centre, which is near Bramingham Business Park and the Cardinal Newman High School
. Leaving Luton, it enters Central Bedfordshire
as Barton Road after a roundabout with Quantock Rise.
There is a roundabout at Streatley
, where the road becomes the dual-carriageway Luton Road. The one mile (1.6 km) £9.4m dual-carriageway Barton-in-the-Clay Bypass was opened in December 1990. The former route is now the B655 (for Hitchin
). It passes through the Bartonhill Cutting. It becomes single carriageway at the roundabout with the B655 at the other end of the bypass. It enters Central Bedfordshire
as Bedford Road, passing the Speed Plough Service Station (now a Car Wash operation) near the now defunct Speed the Plough pub (this has now re-opened, as Grove Family Bar and Restaurant). The one mile (1.6 km) £2m Silsoe
Bypass opened in February 1981. It meets the A507
(for Shefford
and Ampthill
) at a roundabout at Clophill
, crossing the River Flit
, and passing the New County Service Station. It passes through Maulden Wood as the dual-carriage Deadman's Hill, crossing the Greensand Ridge Walk then passes through Haynes West End, becoming Wilstead Road, which passes the Four Winds Service Station. It enters the district of Bedford
and bypasses Wilstead
.A 1.5 mile 2.4 km Dual Carriageway, opened in 2007, then Bypasses Wixams
. It meets the A421
at the Elstow Interchange GSJ
near the large BP
Bedford Connect service station and Asda
distribution centre, then meets the A5134 at a Large Signal Controlled Junction. From here, the Bedford Western Bypass will be built.
The road crosses the Marston Vale Line
, then enters Bedford as Ampthill Road. There is a roundabout with the A5141, then it crosses the railway again near Bedford St Johns railway station
. It meets the A600 and A5140 at a roundabout, then passes Bedford College
and crosses the River Great Ouse
as King Street. It takes two one-way routes (Tavistock Street - High Street and Horne Lane - Union Street) through the town centre, which meet at a roundabout. It meets the A5141 again at a roundabout near Bedford Modern School
and becomes the dual-carriageway Clapham Road near a large Sainsbury's
.
North of Bedford, the three mile (5 km) £26m dual-carriageway Clapham
Bypass opened on December 12, 2002, named the Paula Radcliffe
Way, after the marathon runner who went to school at nearby Sharnbrook
. It crosses the River Great Ouse
twice, and is crossed by the John Bunyan Trail, near a GSJ for Clapham and Oakley
. There is another GSJ for Highfield Parc Industrial Estate. At the end of the bypass, the road suddenly loses the broad expanse of tarmac and looks like a minor B road and becomes Bedford Road. There are speed cameras here. It passes through Milton Ernest
, passing Milton Ernest Lower School, and Queens Head Hotel. As Rushden Road, it passes the Falcon Inn close to Bletsoe
and a Traveller's site. It meets a roundabout for Sharnbrook, then passes a right turn towards Riseley
and two left turns to Sharnbrook
, then passes a right turn to Knotting
and a left turn to Souldrop and passes West Wood.
It is crossed by the Three Shires Way on the border of Northamptonshire
and the district of East Northamptonshire
,there is a right turn to Avenue Road Rushden
, then there is a turn for Wymington
. The three mile (5 km) £10m part-dual-carriageway Rushden
& Higham Ferrers
Bypass opened on August 14, 2003, where the road meets the A5001, B645 and A45
. The old route, which goes through Rushden itself, is now the A5028. It crosses the River Nene
and the Nene Way
, bypassing Irthlingborough
and meeting the B571 at a roundabout. The road still goes through Finedon
. There is the Shell
North Bound Service Station just north of the village on Burton Road. The two mile (3 km) £2.6m Burton Latimer
Bypass opened in October 1991. Weetabix is accessible from the roundabout with the A14. On this stretch it has gap in km, which it is signed A6/A14.
Kettering East & West Connect garages, Little Chef
and Burger King
restaurants on each side of the road. Near the Rothwell junction, there is the Esso
Rothwell Service Station and McDonald's
restaurant on the east-bound carriageway. The five mile (8 km) three-lane £11.4m Rothwell
-Desborough
Bypass opened on August 14, 2003. The road enters Leicestershire
and the district of Harborough
as Harborough Road at the start of the five mile (8 km) £9.5m Market Harborough Bypass, which was opened in June 1992. It briefly re-enters Northamptonshire again, and at this point there is a roundabout with the A427
(for Stoke Albany
) and A4304 (former A427), and an exit for Great Bowden
.
It is crossed by the Leicestershire Round, and there is the Malthurst A6 Texaco
garage and McDonald's
restaurant at the junction with the B6047 (for Melton Mowbray
) at the north end of the bypass. There is a turn to the left for Foxton
and Foxton Locks
. It is crossed by the Midland Main Line. The A6 still passes through Kibworth
, where it passes the Coach & Horses pub. The road becomes Leicester Road. The three mile (5 km) dual-carriageway Great Glen
Bypass opened on February 19, 2003, though operated as a dual-carriageway only after April 4, 2003. It crosses the River Sence
and there is a roundabout. The bypass ends with a roundabout, just before the road enters the district of Oadby and Wigston
.
supermarket at Oadby
on the left. and becomes Harborough Road, then Leicester Road. Further in, it passes the BP
Oadby Filling Station and an Asda
supermarket on the right, before reaching the outer ring-road (A563), next to Leicester Racecourse
. There is the Shell
Oadby Garage just after the roundabout on the left where A563 and A6 join, with the two-track tram shed/terminus, now used for storage, next door. It becomes London Road, where the dual-carriageway ends, and it enters the city of Leicester, passing the Leicester High School for Girls on the right. There is a crossroads, for Stoughton Road (A6030
) at Stoneygate
, and a roundabout with the Victoria Park
Road (B568). It passes close to Leicester University
and many take-away shops. To the right is Highfields
, a largely immigrant community. It crosses the Midland Main Line
near Leicester railway station
. In the centre of Leicester, it is subsumed into Leicester's inner ring-road, the A594
. Before this, it went via Charles Street, and before then, down Granby Street and Gallowtree Gate. Then around the Clock Tower, and along Belgrave Gate. The current route via the Inner Ring Road and Abbey Lane is also altered from the old route, which from Belgrave Gate went via Belgrave Road (along the Fosse Way
) as did the old course of the A46 turning left at Melton Mowbray
turn onto Loughborough Road and then into Birstall
, where it meets with the current route at the start of the dual carriageway just before the A563 roundabout.
It crosses the Grand Union Canal
and the River Soar
as St Margarets Way. It becomes dual-carriageway on the northern outskirts of Leicester, and passes the National Space Centre
in Belgrave
as Abbey Lane then meets at a roundabout with the A563 outer ring-road entering the borough of Charnwood
, then passes the BP
St Paul's Filling Station on the left. Leicestershire Constabulary
have a training college near here in Birstall
. North of Leicester, as Loughborough Road it meets the A46 Leicester Western Bypass just south of Rothley
and the start of the four mile (6.4 km) £43.3m dual-carriageway Quorn-Mountsorrel
Bypass, which opened in October 1991. The road at this point follows the Soar Valley
, and is mostly on embankment or viaduct, crossing the river four times. From here the road goes through Loughborough. although a new section of road from a roundabout with Ling Road (A6004) can be quicker and follows Epinal Way past the university
, avoiding the many traffic lights in the town centre. In Loughborough there is the BP
Elms Park Service Station on the right, and in the middle of Loughborough there is a Sainsbury's
supermarket. Just north of Hathern
, where the A6006 (for Sutton Bonington
) and B5324 (for Long Whatton
) meet the road, there is the Esso
Hathern Turn Service Station. There is a much-needed dual-carriageway section which skirts the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire
border (the River Soar) and the road becomes London Road and enters the district of North West Leicestershire
. It passes through Kegworth
, passing the Britannia Inn and becomes Derby Road. It joins the M1
and A453
at the extremely busy roundabout of junction 24, which is where the A50
Derby to Stoke-on-Trent Link begins. The road follows one of the former A6 dual-carriageway sections, passing Lockington
, before meeting traffic from the south-bound M1 at junction 24a. South-bound traffic on the A6 here has to negotiate a roundabout and a set of traffic lights, which has numerous and lengthy hold-ups at peak times. The three-laned A6 overlaps the A50 for a couple of miles, and there is a junction with the B6540 (former A453
) and crosses the Trent and Mersey Canal
and River Trent
, where it enters Derbyshire
and the district of South Derbyshire
. The A50/A6 passes a Welcome Break
, with a Burger King
and Shell
garage on both sides of the road near Shardlow
. The next section, the A6 Spur, was opened with the A50 in September 1997. The £10.6m dual-carriageway Alvaston
Bypass/Improvement opened on 17 December 2003.
Elvaston Castle
is to the right. The road enters Derby initially along London Road, then at Alvaston
it meets the A5111 Derby Ring Road (Raynesway built in the 1930s) at a roundabout where the A6 is not signposted to the left; directions to Matlock are given for Raynesway (to the right). This roundabout is proposed to be grade-separated (construction is to start later in 2009) as there are lengthy queues at peak times. Most traffic heading north continues along Raynesway and follows the Derby inner ring road to meet the A6, or follows the A61
and A38
north to rejoin the A6 at Ambergate
via the A610
. It passes the BP
Island Service Station on the left at the next roundabout, and the ring road leaves to the left. It enters Crewton and just after a hum-backed bridge it passes St Osmund's church to the left. There is a roundabout with Ascot Drive near the Derby Conference Centre, and the road exits to the right as Pride Parkway, which is related to the adjacent Pride Park
Business Park and Pride Park Stadium
, home of Derby County F.C.
. Nearby to the right, the former Wilmorton
Campus of Derby College
has now been demolished for housing. The former route of the A6 (London Road) is the A5194 and has an 18 tonne weight limit on a weak bridge, and passes the former Derby Royal Infirmary. The new section of the road initially dual-carriageway to the first roundabout, known as the Wilmorton Link, opened on 23 August 2001, and cost £3.86m. It is a Parkway
type of road and crosses the Midland Main Line
,with three large roundabouts, adjacent parallel cycle ways, and passes by many car showroom
s. At the first roundabout is the Pride Park Innkeepers Fayre pub, the Oberoi Consulting, Cooper & Parry, Egg Banking (second roundabout), Geldards LLP, an Old Orleans restaurant (third roundabout), a Harvester
restaurant and a Holiday Inn Express
. It eventually reaches Litchurch
near Derby College's new Roundhouse
site. The land on which it was built was a former gas works, and there are still two gas holders left to the north at the first roundabout. This £7m section from the first roundabout to Station Approach (B6000) was opened in January 1997, and includes a 900 ft viaduct, with 180 ft spans, that crosses the Midland Main Line. It meets the old route at The Cock Pitt, beside the new Westfield Derby, a former roundabout that was replaced with traffic lights in 2008, close to the centre of Derby with a multi-storey car park in the centre. The road overlaps the A601, Derby's inner ring-road and the A52
, crossing the River Derwent
, then leaving to the left as King Street at an intersection on St Alkmund's Way near the former site of St Alkmund's Church, and passes The Flowerpot pub on the left. This section to the A38 has a weight limit. As King Street, it passes the Seven Stars pub. As Garden Street, it splits in two at an elongated roundabout surrounding the Texaco
Allens Service Station and Five Lamps pub. At a roundabout known locally as the Five Lamps, which has had controversial alterations, it becomes Duffield Road, passing the Broadway Hotel. At this roundabout, the older Derby inner ring road (Broadway - A5111) met the A6, before 1983, and the section until Allestree was also the A38 from 1975-83. North of Derby, there is the Palm Court roundabout (named after the former Palm Court café which closed in 2005 and was set up by the cricketer Sydney Barnes
) junction with the A38
. In leafy Allestree
, it passes the Shell
Allestree garage. The road follows the Derwent
Valley, entering the district of Amber Valley
through Duffield and Belper
, passing a large Morrisons
(formerly Safeway
) store. In Belper, it becomes Bridge Street, passing the Total
Lion Garage on the right. The road goes past a large mill
, formerly owned by Jedediah Strutt
and now a museum. Further north it passes the Esso
Riverside Station just before the A610 junction. At Whatstandwell
it meets the B5035 (for Crich
and Wirksworth
), then enters the district of Derbyshire Dales
. There is an Esso
Ridgewood Motors on the left, then at Cromford
, it meets the A5012
(Via Gellia
). Matlock Bath
is a mecca
for motorbikers, and many use the A6 for pleasure and speed, and close by is Gulliver's Kingdom
. Entering Matlock, the road passes under the railway
and along a new bypass past the new Sainsbury's development and new bus station and then over the River Derwent, meeting the A615 at a roundabout. The road then continues on Bakewell Road into Darley Dale
, where the road, as Dale Road, passes the hospital, the Texaco
Two Dales Service Station, and crossroads with the B5057. On the right is the Dale Road Filling Station
, it follows the River Wye
, meeting the B5056 near the endpoint of the River Lathkill
. It passes Haddon Hall
and enters Bakewell
passing the Murco Park View Filling Station on the right and Total
on the right, meeting the B5055 and A619 at a roundabout. At Ashford-in-the-Water
, there is a junction with the A6020 (for Baslow
). The road passes through Taddington Dale. Taddington
has a dual-carriageway bypass. There are junctions with the B6049 (for Blackwell
) and A5270, and it enters the district of High Peak and passes under four railway bridges. It enters Buxton as Bakewell Road, passing a Morrisons
on the left and meets the B5059 at a roundabout. It leaves Buxton as Fairfield Road, and heads towards Stockport
slightly north-east to Dove Holes
and to a roundabout with the A623
The four mile (6.4 km) £38m part-dual-carriageway Chapel-en-le-Frith
& Whaley Bridge
Bypass opened in August 1987. The former route is the B5470. The bypass ends with a roundabout with the A5004 for Whaley Bridge and Macclesfield
(via the B5470
). It crosses the Peak Forest Canal
and the B6062 leads to Chinley
, then goes under the Buxton Line
. At Furness Vale
it passes the railway station
and the primary school. It meets the A6015 (for New Mills
) at Newtown, near the railway station
and primary school, where the road enters Cheshire
. At Disley
on Market Street, there is the Total
Disley garage, and the road passes the primary school, the Crescent Inn, police station and the Dandy Cock then crosses the Buxton Line near the railway station
near the Rams Head Vintage Inn. At High Lane
, the road enters the Borough of Stockport
in Greater Manchester
.
There were plans in the 1970s for a bypass around Stockport, by a motorway initially known as the A6(M), which never was given the go-ahead, although many construction schemes were designed. It was kicked into touch
in July 1998, in the distant early years of the 1997 Labour government
. Due to build up of traffic in the Stockport area, the same scheme is now going to be built as the A555, to link up east of Stockport with the M60
. In July 2006, it finally received the full funding to proceed. In Hazel Grove
it goes under the viaduct carrying the South TransPennine railway line, and meets the A523
(for Macclesfield
) from the left and the A627 (from Romiley
) from the right. There is McDonald's
on the left near the Hazel Grove railway station
.
Towards Stockport
, there is a Sainsbury's
on the right, and the road becomes Buxton Road. In Stepping Hill, it goes near the Stepping Hill Hospital
. There is the Shell
Stockport garage near the Woodsmoor railway station
and in Great Moor, the Esso
Great Moor Service Station relatively near the Davenport railway station
, where it meets the B6171, the A5102 (for Bramhall
) to the right. As the road approaches Stockport town centre there is the Texaco
Grosvenor Service Station, near the crossroads with the B5465. At Mersey Square, Stockport just before the road crosses the M60
, the road becomes Wellington Road North, crosses the Stockport to Stalybridge Line
and the Total
Wellington Road garage is on the right. At Heaton Chapel
, there are crossroads with the B5169 (for Reddish
), and the A626 joins to the right. It enters the city of Manchester
just before it meets the B6178 and becomes Stockport Road near the Shell
Levenshulme
station on the right. Near the junction with the B5093 is the Levenshulme railway station
. It goes under the railway and meets the A5079 Slade Lane from the south. There are crossroads with the A6010, and the A5184 leaves to the left. In Longsight
, it meets the A665 Manchester inner ring road and the A57
at a roundabout, which it overlaps until it goes under the A57(M)
/A635(M), passing the old site of UMIST
(now the University of Manchester
).
and Salford, and passes through the various former cotton mill towns of central Lancashire
, notably through Chorley
, Preston and Lancaster
. Its route remains paralleled by the M6 and M61 motorways here, including the oldest motorway stretch in the UK (M6
Preston by-pass).
In Manchester, the road crosses the River Irwell
and enters the city of Salford
. Here the road is called Chapel Street where the original Salford Royal Hospital stands (now flats) at its junction with Adelphi Street. At the Adelphi Street/Oldfield Road junction its name changes to the Crescent. Along this stretch we now pass several places of cultural interest including the University of Salford
, and Salford Museum and Art Gallery
on the right, as well as the Old Fire Station and the Working Class Movement Library
on the left. Along this stretch it also passes Salford Crescent railway station
near the junction with Albion Way. It then carries on as the dual carriageway Broad Street through Pendleton
past Salford Shopping City (Salford Precinct) and the junction with Langworthy Road (A5186). It next arrives at Irlams o' th' Height
where it departs from the dual carriageway (where the A580 East Lancashire Road
begins) at the old Irlams o' th' Height/Pendlebury
(roundabout) boundary. Once round the Height roundabout it becomes Manchester Road as it goes through Pendlebury
for a short distance passing both the site of the former Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
and Hospital Road on the right. Next we enter Swinton
and pass Victoria Park on the right opposite the junction with Barton Road. The Farmer's Arms, the White Lion (both on the left) and the Cricketer's Arms (on the right) pubs are all shortly followed by the junction with Worsley Road (A572) where its name changes to Chorley Road. Along Chorley Road we soon pass Swinton Post Office and Swinton and Pendlebury
Town Hall (Salford Civic Centre) on the left with Swinton Shopping Centre on the right. At this point is the town centre's crossroads with Partington Lane (on the left) and Station Road (on the right) which are both part of the B5231. On the left are the town hall's once hallowed lawns and Swinton Parish Church (St. Peter's
) on opposite corners. Both the Central Library and the Bull's Head pub are seen on the right on opposite corners. The new Swinton Police Station is just 138 yards (126.2 m) along on the left from the town centre junction. Then once past the Forester's Arms pub (on the right) and the junction with Moorside Road and the Red Lion pub ("The Cat") to the left we very soon arrive in Manchester Road, Wardley
(at Sindsley Brook) passing the Morning Star pub (on the right) as the road heads north west towards Linnyshaw
and Walkden
.
It then goes under the M60
near the junction with the M61
, near the Worsley Braided Interchange and Wardley Hall (home of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salford
) and enters Whittle Brook and Walkden
as Manchester Road, passing the Linnyshaw
Industrial Estate on the right. It passes the Texaco
Gordon Limes Service Station on the left, and meets the A575 (for Worsley
and Farnworth
) and B5232 (for Boothstown
) at crossroads where the road is dual-carriageway as the High Street. It becomes Manchester Road East and passes a Tesco
on the right, progressing towards the district of Little Hulton
, which it enters a few minutes later. It meets the A5082 (for Tyldesley
and Farnworth) at crossroads near St. Paul's, Peel Church, becoming Manchester Road West, passing St. Paul's, Peel and Wharton primary schools.
On leaving Little Hulton, the road enters the Borough of Bolton
near the Chloride Battery Works on the left. Near Farnworth, the road meets the M61
, at junction 4, which closely follows parallel with the A6 up to Preston. The road is now the primary route Salford Road and meets the A579 at crossroads at Hulton Lane Ends near the Red Lion and Hulton Arms, becoming Manchester Road. It meets the A58
at a roundabout at Chequerbent and is no longer a trunk road, close to M61 junction 5, then enters Westhoughton
, passing the Mercury Filling Station on the left. There is the B5235 near the White Horse Tavern, then it crosses the Manchester-Southport Line, and it meets the B5236 at Wingates
, near the St. John's Primary School and the St. John the Evangelist Church. On leaving Westhoughton, the road becomes Chorley Road. At Four Gates, there is the B5239 for Aspull at the Royal Oak pub. It meets the A6027 roundabout close to the M61 junction 6 for Horwich
. It passes through Hilton House, at Scot Lane End, it meets the B5408 (the former route) for Blackrod
, becoming the Blackrod By-Pass Road. It meets the B5238, for Horwich, at crossroads near Blackrod railway station
and the Ridgeway Arms Hotel. Close by on the M61 is the Rivington services (formerly Bolton West services). It rejoins the old route where it meets the B5408, near the Thatch & Thistle pub. It enters Adlington
, and the district of Chorley
where it crosses the River Douglas
as Chorley Road, becoming Market Street and passing the Texaco
Les Walkden Garage on the left. In the centre of Adlington it meets the B6227 near Adlington railway station
, and the police station, becoming Church Street then Westhoughton Road. It crosses the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
and meets the A673 from Bolton and A5106 from Standish
.
It crosses the River Yarrow
and passes the Miller's pub and the Albany Science College as Bolton Road. In Chorley, the central section is dual-carriageway with many roundabouts. It meets the B6228 at a roundabout, passes a Morrisons
and the railway station
, then meets the A581 and B6229. It passes the Texaco
Preston Road Service Station and a hospital on the left and meets the B5252 at a roundabout where it crosses the railway. The dual-carriageway A674 to the right goes to Blackburn via the nearby junction 8 of the M61 and a Mormon
temple.
, passing the St John the Evangelist Church and Texaco
Jubilee Service Station on the right, crossing the River Lostock
. It enters Clayton-le-Woods
, passing the Shell
Clayton Green on the left, and meets the B5256 (for Leyland
) at a roundabout, near a large Asda, Cuerden Valley Park and Cuerden Hall
. It passes through Clayton Brook
, passing the Esso
Clayton Brook Service Station on the right, and crosses the M65
, entering the district of South Ribble
, near its western terminus. There are two roundabouts for the Walton Summit
Industrial Estate, either of which lead to the Walton Summit Motorway. Next is a roundabout with the M6
at junction 29, which is now shared with the M65 where the it becomes a trunk road. This was the start of Britain's first motorway, built in 1958. The road becomes dual-carriageway as it enters Bamber Bridge
. There are crossroads with the northern terminus of the A49
and the B6258 near a large Sainsbury's
on the right and B & Q on the left, then a roundabout with the A582 - where the road heads north to the right. The start of the M65 is accessible only from this roundabout at junction 1a. It crosses the East Lancashire Line
and meets the B5257 at a roundabout. It meets the B6230 at a roundabout at Dog Kennel Wood, crosses the River Darwen
and meets the A675 (for Walton-le-Dale
).
It crosses the River Ribble
and the Ribble Way
, entering the district of Preston. The road enters Preston as a single carriageway, meeting the A59
(for Blackburn), B6243 (for Ribbleton
), and A6063. It passes through the centre of Preston, becoming North Road, passes the Texaco
North Road Service Station on the right, meets the A5071 Moor Lane, then becomes Garstang Road, passes the BP
Key Filling Station on the right and Moor Park
, and crosses the A5085, passing the Shell
Fulwood garage on the left. At Fulwood
, it meets the B6242 at crossroads, then passes the Texaco
Fulwood Service Station and Sharoe Green
. It meets the B6241 Preston ring road near junction 1 of the M55
, the other end of Britain's first motorway where it no longer is a trunk road.
It passes the Texaco
Broughton Filling Station on the left and crosses Woodplumpton Brook and meets the B5269 at crossroads at Broughton
, passing the Texaco
Kinders Garage on the right. It meets Barton
as Garstang Road and passes the Barton Grange Hotel and the Barton Fox, running along the Preston and Wyre district boundary, and begins to run parallel to the West Coast Main Line, which it crosses. The district boundary crosses to the other side of the road and it enters the district of Wyre
. It passes through Bilsborrow
and the Roebuck. It leaves the district boundary, and crosses the River Brock
at Brock, near the Brockholes Arms, over the Lancaster Canal
. On the right, it passes the Esso
Claughton Garage and Total
Rogers of Brock. At Catterall
, it meets the B6430 and crosses the River Wyre
, and meets the A586 (for Churchtown
). It passes the Churchtown Service Station on the right and enters Garstang
and crosses the Lancaster Canal again. It meets the B5272 and B6430 near the Crofters Hotel, passes the Houghton's Filling Station and Redline Garage on the left, and enters Cabus
, passing Quattros's restaurant. At Forton
, it passes the Pennine Filling Station on the left and the New Holly Inn, close to the Forton service station
on the M6. At Potters Brook, it meets a crossroads and enters the city of Lancaster
. It meets the M6 at junction 33 and goes through Galgate
as Main Road, passing the Plough Inn and New Inn, and under the West Coast Main Line, which it then runs adjacent to. The University of Lancaster lies in the one kilometre separation between the A6 and the M6, where there is a short section of dual-carriageway on the A6 alongside the West Coast Main Line. There is a right turn for Bailrigg
. The road enters Lancaster as Scotforth
Road then Greaves Road, passing the Texaco
Toll Bar Service Station on the left, BP
Bowling Green Service Station on the right, Scotforth St Paul's Primary School on the left and St Paul's Church.
It meets the A588 for Preesall
at a roundabout, goes past the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on the left, then crosses the Lancaster Canal
. It splits up in two as it passes through the centre of Lancaster. It rejoins and splits again to cross the River Lune
on the Greyhound Bridge and older http://www.priory.lancs.ac.uk/skerton_bridge.htmlSkerton Bridge
]. The A589 leaves to left for Morecambe
and the A683 to the right for Caton
and M6 junction 34. The road rejoins as Owen Road near Skerton High School and there is the B5231 to the right for Morecambe, and a road to the right for Halton
. It passes the Texaco
Slyne Road Garage on the left and crosses the Lancaster Canal and heads through Hest Bank
as Lancaster Road, passing the Slyne Lodge, and Bolton Town. It crosses the Lancaster Canal and meets the A5105 (from Morecambe) to the left at Bolton-le-Sands
. As Main Road, it passes the Royal Hotel. Here the road is at its closest point to Morecambe Bay
. It follows the Lancaster Canal and enters Carnforth as Lancaster Road, passes the Christ Church parish church on the right and County Hotel and the BP
Carnforth Service Station on the left, and meets the B6254 to the right which leads to M6 junction 35.
, famous for its connections with the film Brief Encounter
, the road as Scotland Road crosses the River Keer
. It passes the Esso
Truckhaven truck stop
on the left just before it meets the A601(M)
at junction 35a of the M6 near Warton
. There is a roundabout with the A6070, and the road, which has a short section of dual-carriageway, crosses the West Coast Main Line
near Yealand Conyers
. It enters Cumbria
and the district of South Lakeland
near the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis Centre and Hale Moss. Nearby on the M6 is the Burton-in-Kendal services
. The Esso
Mossdale Service Station is on the left. It passes through Hale and the King's Arms Hotel. At Beetham
, it crosses the River Bela
then passes through Milnthorpe
as Beetham Road and Church Street, meeting the B5282 and B6385. It goes through Heversham
passing by the Blue Bell Hotel on the left. It passes Levens Hall
on the left, crossing the River Kent
at the old Levens Bridge, then meets the A590 and overlaps the A591
becoming a trunk road, the dual-carriageway Kendal
bypass. It passes Sizergh Castle
and the BP
Prizet Filling Station, before leaving at a GSJ becoming the single carriageway Milnthorpe Road. It passes the BP
Helsington Service Station and passes through Kendal
splitting in two, where it meets the northern end of the A65
.
In Kendal, it passes Kendal College and the Queen Katherine School
next to a Morrisons
superstore. It crosses the River Kent on the Nether Bridge and Miller Bridge. It passes under the Windermere Branch Line
near Kendal railway station
then meets the A685
(to Kirkby Stephen
), passes over the River Mint
as Shap Road and is crossed by the Dales Way
. It passes the formerPlough Inn near Selside
, where it becomes the boundary of the Lake District National Park. It crosses Borrowdale Beck (a tributary of the River Lune) and at Huck's Bridge at Borrowdale
, it enters the district of Eden
.
It climbs up to over 1,400 ft and heads over the Shap Fells into Wasdale
, passing near the Shap Wells Hotel, where it leaves the National Park, and passes the RMC granite works. A spur of the A6 meets the B6261 and joins the M6 at junction 39. The road is no longer a trunk road and passes the Corus Lime Kilns on Hardendale Fell and enters Shap
where it is crossed by the Coast to Coast Walk
, and over the West Coast Line. It passes under then over the M6, then passes close to Hackthorpe Hall and the Lowther Castle Inn. It passes over the M6 near Lowther
, which is near the Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre. It passes over the railway at Clifton
near Penrith
. There is a right turn for Brougham
and it crosses the River Lowther
at Eamont Bridge
where passes the Beehive Inn and the Crown Hotel, then meets the B6262 and crosses the River Eamont
over a narrow bridge. It meets the A66
at Kemplay roundabout next to Penrith Hospital.
It takes a central route through Penrith
, entering the town as Bridge Lane then Victoria Road and leaving as Stricklandgate then Scotland Road it passes the BP
Townhead Garage, then the Esso
Davidsons Garage. North of Penrith, it meets the B5305 (which heads to Wigton
) at the Stoneybeck roundabout next to the Stoneybeck Inn situated on a new section of the A6 built for junction 41 of the M6. The next section of the A6 is one of the most dangerous roads in the county and follows a former Roman road
, having seen several deaths in the past few years http://www.cumberland-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=365938 http://www.cumberland-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=382145.
This section essentially follows a parallel path to the M6, and passes through Plumpton
where it meets the B6413; an old Roman fort called Voreda at Castlesteads; High Hesket
which it bypasses; Low Hesket where it passes the Rose & Crown; enters the district of Carlisle
near Cotehill; and meets the M6 (and the B6263) eventually at junction 42: the start of the Carlisle bypass. Entering Carlisle, it passes the BP
Carleton Service Station, a C-op at Harraby, the Esso
Harraby Green Service Station then crosses the River Petteril
(near a large radio mast) then the Tyne Valley railway line. The A6 travels through south-eastern Carlisle as London Road, before finishing at Botchergate in the centre of Carlisle where it transforms seamlessly into the A7 which runs out of Carlisle and across the Anglo-Scottish border terminating eventually at Scotland
's capital city of Edinburgh
.
for most of its length. In the initial road numbering scheme, the A6 started in Barnet
where it joined what was then the A1 Great North Road
. From Barnet the road went to London Colney
, St Albans
, Harpenden
to join the current start of the road at Luton
. At St Albans
, the road met the then A5 at a crossroads: going north on both roads, the A5 arriving from the southwest, and leaving the crossroads northwest, and the A6 arriving from the southeast and leaving to the northeast. Nowadays that stretch of the A5 has also been renumbered so that the crossroads in St Albans is now A5183
and A1081.
was originally a stretch of the A6 before it was moved westwards to its current route. Being on the border of two districts, the road has fallen into a state of disrepair as neither the City of Manchester nor the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
claims responsibility for it.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It currently runs from Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
to Carlisle in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, although it formerly started at a junction with the A1 at Barnet
Barnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...
.
Running north west from Luton, the road travels through Bedford, bypasses Rushden
Rushden
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England.The parish of Rushden covers an area of some and is part of the district of East Northamptonshire. The population of Rushden was estimated at around 28,368, making it the fifth largest town in the county...
, Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
and Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
, continues through Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
, Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and Matlock before going through the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
to Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
, Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Salford, Pendleton
Pendleton, Greater Manchester
Pendleton is an inner city area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is about from Manchester city centre. The A6 dual carriageway skirts the east of the district....
, Irlams o' th' Height
Irlams o' th' Height
Irlams o' th' Height is an area of Pendleton, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is on the extremity of the City of Salford metropolitan district boundary, and stands next to Swinton and Pendlebury...
, Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
, Swinton
Swinton, Greater Manchester
Swinton is a town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located on the A6 road it stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
, Walkden
Walkden
Walkden is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester....
, Little Hulton
Little Hulton
Little Hulton is a village—effectively a suburb—within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies south of Bolton, west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
, Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, Preston, Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
and Penrith
Penrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
before reaching Carlisle.
South of Derby, the road is paralleled by the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
, and north of Manchester the M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
and M61
M61 motorway
The M61 motorway is a motorway in North West England. It runs from the M60 motorway northwest of Manchester and heads northwest past Bolton and Chorley to join the M6 just north of the junction between the M6 and M65 motorways to the south of Preston....
motorways approximate its course. Between Derby and Manchester the A6 follows a completely different routing to the motorway network, crossing the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
rather than going around it. Because of these duplications, the A6 is less important than formerly.
Luton - Kettering
It begins as St Mary's Road at an elongated roundabout with the A505 roadA505 road
The A505 is an A-class road in the United Kingdom. It follows part of the route of the Icknield Way and the corresponding Icknield Way Path.-Bedfordshire:...
, part of the Luton inner ring road. This becomes Guildford Street and passes near the railway station
Luton railway station
Luton railway station is located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The station is near to the town centre, about three minutes' walk from the Arndale Shopping Centre. It is situated on the Midland Main Line and is operated by First Capital Connect.-History:...
. It leaves the ring road and crosses under the Midland Main Line, becoming New Bedford Road. It meets the A5228 outer ring road at a roundabout. On the outskirts of Luton as Barton Road, it passes the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Streatley
Streatley, Bedfordshire
Streatley is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England.-Geography:Streatley is situated just to the west of the A6, and is the first village on the A6 north of Luton, being about north of central Luton...
Express station on the left and Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Barton Road Service Station just after the Grasmere Road roundabout where it meets the Icknield Way Path
Icknield Way Path
Icknield Way Path is a long distance footpath in East Anglia, England.It connects with: Angles Way, , Chiltern Way, , Hertfordshire Chain Walk, Hertfordshire Way, Lea Valley Walk, Peddars Way, Ridgeway, Roman Road Link, Stour Valley Path and Swan's Way....
. At the next roundabout, there is a Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury
J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
at the Bramingham Park Centre, which is near Bramingham Business Park and the Cardinal Newman High School
Cardinal Newman Catholic High School (Luton)
Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, also referred to as Newman or CNS is a Roman Catholic Voluntary aided secondary school and sixth form catering for pupils aged between 11 and 18, located in the Warden Hills area of Luton, England. Opened in September 1969, the current Headteacher is Mrs Jane...
. Leaving Luton, it enters Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created from the merger of Bedfordshire County Council, Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire on 1 April 2009...
as Barton Road after a roundabout with Quantock Rise.
There is a roundabout at Streatley
Streatley, Bedfordshire
Streatley is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England.-Geography:Streatley is situated just to the west of the A6, and is the first village on the A6 north of Luton, being about north of central Luton...
, where the road becomes the dual-carriageway Luton Road. The one mile (1.6 km) £9.4m dual-carriageway Barton-in-the-Clay Bypass was opened in December 1990. The former route is now the B655 (for Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
). It passes through the Bartonhill Cutting. It becomes single carriageway at the roundabout with the B655 at the other end of the bypass. It enters Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It was created from the merger of Bedfordshire County Council, Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire on 1 April 2009...
as Bedford Road, passing the Speed Plough Service Station (now a Car Wash operation) near the now defunct Speed the Plough pub (this has now re-opened, as Grove Family Bar and Restaurant). The one mile (1.6 km) £2m Silsoe
Silsoe
Silsoe is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England.-Origin:The village name is derived from the Danish word ‘hoh’, in "Sifels hoh", meaning "Sifel’s hill". The Danes were thought to have been the earliest settlers here...
Bypass opened in February 1981. It meets the A507
A507 road
The A507 is an A-class road in England, linking the M1 motorway near Milton Keynes to the A10 at Buntingford. Beginning at junction 13 of the M1, the road heads east past Ridgmont to Ampthill. Here it passes between Ampthill and its close neighbour Flitwick, essentially separating the two. After...
(for Shefford
Shefford, Bedfordshire
Shefford is a small town and civil parish located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 4,928, although this was estimated to have grown to 5,770 by 2007.-History:...
and Ampthill
Ampthill
Ampthill is a small town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population of about 6,000. It is administered by Central Bedfordshire Council. A regular market has taken place on Thursdays for centuries.-History:...
) at a roundabout at Clophill
Clophill
Clophill, is a small village and civil parish located in the Flit river valley, Bedfordshire, England. At this time the village belonged to a group of two or three hamlets – Beadlow, Cainhoe and possibly Moddry.It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Clopelle; meaning tree-stump Hill in old...
, crossing the River Flit
River Flit
The River Flit is a short river in Bedfordshire, England. It flows through Flitwick, then past Greenfield and Flitton, then through Clophill, Chicksands, and Shefford, then past Stanford, before meeting the River Ivel at Langford....
, and passing the New County Service Station. It passes through Maulden Wood as the dual-carriage Deadman's Hill, crossing the Greensand Ridge Walk then passes through Haynes West End, becoming Wilstead Road, which passes the Four Winds Service Station. It enters the district of Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
and bypasses Wilstead
Wilstead
.Wilstead is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, just off the A6 Bedford to Luton road, about five miles south of Bedford town centre, and within the Borough of Bedford. The name of the village has been spelled in many different ways, including Wilshamstead, Wylhamstead, and...
.A 1.5 mile 2.4 km Dual Carriageway, opened in 2007, then Bypasses Wixams
Wixams
Wixams is a new town in Bedfordshire, England, which has been under construction since early 2007. It is expected to become the third largest settlement in the Borough of Bedford after Bedford itself and Kempston, and one of the largest new settlements founded in England since the British new towns...
. It meets the A421
A421 road
The A421 is an important road for east/west journeys across England. Together with the A428, the A43 and A34, it forms the route from Cambridge through Milton Keynes to Oxford...
at the Elstow Interchange GSJ
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
near the large BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Bedford Connect service station and Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
distribution centre, then meets the A5134 at a Large Signal Controlled Junction. From here, the Bedford Western Bypass will be built.
The road crosses the Marston Vale Line
Marston Vale Line
The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
, then enters Bedford as Ampthill Road. There is a roundabout with the A5141, then it crosses the railway again near Bedford St Johns railway station
Bedford St Johns railway station
Bedford St Johns is the smaller of two railway stations that serve the town of Bedford in Bedfordshire. It is on the Marston Vale line from Bletchley to Bedford Midland.The station is unstaffed, and is operated by London Midland....
. It meets the A600 and A5140 at a roundabout, then passes Bedford College
Bedford College (Bedford)
Bedford College is a further education college in the Cauldwell area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. It is the only public further education college in the Borough of Bedford, and it is a member of the 157 Group of high performing schools....
and crosses the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
as King Street. It takes two one-way routes (Tavistock Street - High Street and Horne Lane - Union Street) through the town centre, which meet at a roundabout. It meets the A5141 again at a roundabout near Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School is a British co-educational independent school in the Harpur area of Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire, in England.Bedford Modern comprises a junior school and a senior school...
and becomes the dual-carriageway Clapham Road near a large Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury
J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
.
North of Bedford, the three mile (5 km) £26m dual-carriageway Clapham
Clapham, Bedfordshire
Clapham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England. It has a population of 3,643.-Facilities:Clapham has numerous public houses and several small shops; including a post office, Chinese and Indian takeaways, fish and chips, a florist, a hairdresser and a small...
Bypass opened on December 12, 2002, named the Paula Radcliffe
Paula Radcliffe
Paula Jane Radcliffe, MBE is an English long-distance runner. She is the current women's world record holder in the marathon with her time of 2:15:25 hours...
Way, after the marathon runner who went to school at nearby Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook is a village and civil parish located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey but was probably first developed in Saxon times. The oldest surviving building, St Peter's Church, is...
. It crosses the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
twice, and is crossed by the John Bunyan Trail, near a GSJ for Clapham and Oakley
Oakley, Bedfordshire
Oakley is a village and civil parish located in northern Bedfordshire, England, about four miles north west of the county town of Bedford and lies by the River Great Ouse...
. There is another GSJ for Highfield Parc Industrial Estate. At the end of the bypass, the road suddenly loses the broad expanse of tarmac and looks like a minor B road and becomes Bedford Road. There are speed cameras here. It passes through Milton Ernest
Milton Ernest
Milton Ernest is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, and is about north of Bedford itself. It has a population of 754...
, passing Milton Ernest Lower School, and Queens Head Hotel. As Rushden Road, it passes the Falcon Inn close to Bletsoe
Bletsoe
Bletsoe is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is on the A6, and about eight miles north of Bedford. The village has a small park, the former site of Bletsoe Castle and a church. Nearby places are Sharnbrook, Milton Ernest, Riseley, Thurleigh, Odell, Souldrop, and Swineshead...
and a Traveller's site. It meets a roundabout for Sharnbrook, then passes a right turn towards Riseley
Riseley
-People:*Frank Riseley , British tennis player*Martin Riseley , Canadian violinist and concertmaster-Places:*Riseley, Bedfordshire, village in Bedfordshire, England*Riseley, Berkshire, village in Berkshire, England...
and two left turns to Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook is a village and civil parish located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey but was probably first developed in Saxon times. The oldest surviving building, St Peter's Church, is...
, then passes a right turn to Knotting
Knotting, Bedfordshire
Knotting is a small village in Bedfordshire, located near the border with Northamptonshire. Nearby places are, Sharnbrook, Podington, Odell, Melchbourne, Yielden, Newton Bromswold, Souldrop and Rushden over the border in Northamptonshire.-Population:...
and a left turn to Souldrop and passes West Wood.
It is crossed by the Three Shires Way on the border of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
and the district of East Northamptonshire
East Northamptonshire
East Northamptonshire is a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is based in Thrapston and Rushden, which is the largest town in the area...
,there is a right turn to Avenue Road Rushden
Rushden
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England.The parish of Rushden covers an area of some and is part of the district of East Northamptonshire. The population of Rushden was estimated at around 28,368, making it the fifth largest town in the county...
, then there is a turn for Wymington
Wymington
Wymington is a village and civil parish in the Bedfordshire district of Bedford in England. It is in the north of Bedfordshire, near the county border with Northamptonshire, and the nearest town is Rushden in Northants, which it borders to the north...
. The three mile (5 km) £10m part-dual-carriageway Rushden
Rushden
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England.The parish of Rushden covers an area of some and is part of the district of East Northamptonshire. The population of Rushden was estimated at around 28,368, making it the fifth largest town in the county...
& Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town in the Nene Valley in East Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single urban area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated population of 6,086...
Bypass opened on August 14, 2003, where the road meets the A5001, B645 and A45
A45 road
The A45 is a major road in England. It runs east from Birmingham past the National Exhibition Centre and the M42, then bypasses Coventry and Rugby, where it briefly merges with the M45 until it continues to Daventry...
. The old route, which goes through Rushden itself, is now the A5028. It crosses the River Nene
River Nene
The River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom, and is navigable for from Northampton to The...
and the Nene Way
Nene Way
The Nene Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in England running through the English counties of Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire. It follows the course of the River Nene.-The route:...
, bypassing Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough , originally called Artleborough, is a small town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England with a population of 6,179 people according to the 2001 census. It is the smallest town in England to have possessed a league association football team, Rushden & Diamonds. The parish...
and meeting the B571 at a roundabout. The road still goes through Finedon
Finedon
Finedon is a civil parish and village in the Borough Council of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, with a population at the 2001 census of 4,188 people. Along with Wellingborough, it is twinned with Wittlich, Germany, and Niort, France....
. There is the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
North Bound Service Station just north of the village on Burton Road. The two mile (3 km) £2.6m Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer
Burton Latimer is a town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population in 2001 of 6,740. It is just south of the junction of the A6 and A14 in the borough of Kettering. The two-mile A6 bypass opened in October 1991.-History:...
Bypass opened in October 1991. Weetabix is accessible from the roundabout with the A14. On this stretch it has gap in km, which it is signed A6/A14.
Kettering - Leicester
Kettering was bypassed when sections of the east-west corridor A14 were built. Between the A6 junction and A509 junction, there are the two BPBP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Kettering East & West Connect garages, Little Chef
Little Chef
Little Chef is a chain of roadside restaurants in the United Kingdom, founded in 1958 and owned by the UK private equity group RCapital. Little Chef's previous owners were The People's Restaurant Group Ltd., a company belonging to British catering entrepreneurs Simon Heath and Lawrence Wosskow,...
and Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
restaurants on each side of the road. Near the Rothwell junction, there is the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Rothwell Service Station and McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant on the east-bound carriageway. The five mile (8 km) three-lane £11.4m Rothwell
Rothwell, Northamptonshire
Rothwell is a market town in the Kettering district of Northamptonshire, England. It is located south of Desborough, southeast of Market Harborough, southwest of Corby and northwest of the larger town of Kettering. It is twinned with the French town of Droué...
-Desborough
Desborough
Desborough is a town in Northamptonshire, England. It is one of the founding 12 members of the Charter of European Rural Communities and through this has links with 26 other EU member towns and villages...
Bypass opened on August 14, 2003. The road enters Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and the district of Harborough
Harborough
Harborough is a local government district of Leicestershire, England, named after its main town, Market Harborough. Covering , the District is by far the largest of the eight district authorities in Leicestershire and covers almost a quarter of the County....
as Harborough Road at the start of the five mile (8 km) £9.5m Market Harborough Bypass, which was opened in June 1992. It briefly re-enters Northamptonshire again, and at this point there is a roundabout with the A427
A427 road
The A427 road is a major road in the English Midlands. It connects the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough and the A6 with the Northamptonshire town of Oundle and the A605.-History:...
(for Stoke Albany
Stoke Albany
Stoke Albany is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, part of the borough of Kettering. It is off the A427 road between Market Harborough and Corby, about halfway between the two. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 330 people....
) and A4304 (former A427), and an exit for Great Bowden
Great Bowden
Great Bowden is a village and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is north-east of and a suburb of Market Harborough, although originally the parish of Great Bowden included Harborough. The population is around 1,000, with approximately 50% of that consisting of...
.
It is crossed by the Leicestershire Round, and there is the Malthurst A6 Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
garage and McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant at the junction with the B6047 (for Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
) at the north end of the bypass. There is a turn to the left for Foxton
Foxton, Leicestershire
thumb|Foxton parish churchFoxton is a village in Leicestershire, England, to the north-west of Market Harborough. It is on the Grand Union Canal and is the site of the Foxton Locks and Foxton Inclined Plane.-External links:****...
and Foxton Locks
Foxton Locks
Foxton Locks are ten canal locks consisting of two "staircases" each of five locks, located on the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal about 5 km west of the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough and are named after the nearby village of Foxton....
. It is crossed by the Midland Main Line. The A6 still passes through Kibworth
Kibworth
Kibworth is an area of the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, that contains two civil parishes—the villages of Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt . According to the 2001 census, Kibworth Beauchamp has a population of 3,798, and Kibworth Harcourt has a population of 990. The two...
, where it passes the Coach & Horses pub. The road becomes Leicester Road. The three mile (5 km) dual-carriageway Great Glen
Great Glen, Leicestershire
Great Glen , also known as Glen Magna, is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England, about seven miles south-east of Leicester. Its name comes from the original Iron Age settlers who used the Celtic word glennos meaning valley, and comes from the fact that Great Glen lies in part of the...
Bypass opened on February 19, 2003, though operated as a dual-carriageway only after April 4, 2003. It crosses the River Sence
River Sence
The River Sence is a river in Leicestershire, England. The tributaries of the Sence including the Saint and Tweed fan out over much of western Leicestershire from Charnwood Forest and Coalville in the north-east to Hinckley and almost to Watling Street in the south and south-west...
and there is a roundabout. The bypass ends with a roundabout, just before the road enters the district of Oadby and Wigston
Oadby and Wigston
Oadby and Wigston is a local government district and borough in the English county of Leicestershire.-Geography:It is composed of the areas of Oadby, Wigston Magna and South Wigston. It is predominantly urban, and runs directly into Leicester, to the north-west...
.
Leicester - Peak District
On the outskirts of Leicester the road becomes London Road. There is a roundabout with Florence Wragg Way, where the road becomes Glen Road. It passes a Sainsbury'sJ Sainsbury
J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
supermarket at Oadby
Oadby
Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. It is to the east of Wigston Magna, and to the southeast of Leicester. Oadby forms part of the Leicester Urban Area, and is situated on the A6 road....
on the left. and becomes Harborough Road, then Leicester Road. Further in, it passes the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Oadby Filling Station and an Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
supermarket on the right, before reaching the outer ring-road (A563), next to Leicester Racecourse
Leicester Racecourse
Leicester Racecourse is a horse-racing course in Oadby, Leicestershire, England.The course is oval shaped and nearly 2 miles in extent. It was opened ante 1773....
. There is the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
Oadby Garage just after the roundabout on the left where A563 and A6 join, with the two-track tram shed/terminus, now used for storage, next door. It becomes London Road, where the dual-carriageway ends, and it enters the city of Leicester, passing the Leicester High School for Girls on the right. There is a crossroads, for Stoughton Road (A6030
A6030 road
The A6030 is a small ring-road entirely within the built-up central area of Leicester, from the A563 at its roundabout with the A6 near Belgrave, south-east over the A607 to cross the A47 at Northfields, turning south past Leicester General Hospital and the Leicestershire Golf Club to meet the A6...
) at Stoneygate
Stoneygate
Stoneygate is part of the City of Leicester, England.Situated on the south-east side of the city some two miles from the centre, Stoneygate is a mainly residential suburb characterised by its large Victorian houses...
, and a roundabout with the Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Leicester
Victoria Park in Leicester, England is a public park of 69 acres . It is in the south-east, just outside the city centre, backing on to the University of Leicester and close to the Leicester railway station....
Road (B568). It passes close to Leicester University
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
and many take-away shops. To the right is Highfields
Highfields, Leicestershire
Highfields is an inner city area of Leicester, England. As the name suggests, it is one of the highest areas in the city, on high ground southeast of the city centre. To the west the area is bounded by the Midland Main Line, to the south by London Road, and to the east by East Park Road...
, a largely immigrant community. It crosses the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
near Leicester railway station
Leicester railway station
Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:...
. In the centre of Leicester, it is subsumed into Leicester's inner ring-road, the A594
A594 road (Leicester)
The Leicester version of the A594 is that city's inner ring road, surrounding the core area of Leicester City Centre. Leicester has two other ring-roads, the A6030, and the A563....
. Before this, it went via Charles Street, and before then, down Granby Street and Gallowtree Gate. Then around the Clock Tower, and along Belgrave Gate. The current route via the Inner Ring Road and Abbey Lane is also altered from the old route, which from Belgrave Gate went via Belgrave Road (along the Fosse Way
Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
) as did the old course of the A46 turning left at Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
turn onto Loughborough Road and then into Birstall
Birstall, Leicestershire
Birstall is a large village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north of the Leicester city centre and is part of the wider Leicester Urban Area....
, where it meets with the current route at the start of the dual carriageway just before the A563 roundabout.
It crosses the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
and the River Soar
River Soar
The River Soar is a tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands.-Description:It rises near Hinckley in Leicestershire and is joined by the River Sence near Enderby before flowing through Leicester , Barrow-on-Soar, beside Loughborough and Kegworth, before joining the Trent near...
as St Margarets Way. It becomes dual-carriageway on the northern outskirts of Leicester, and passes the National Space Centre
National Space Centre
The National Space Centre is one of the United Kingdom's leading visitor attractions that is devoted to space science and astronomy. It is located in the city of Leicester, England, next to the River Soar on the A6.-History:...
in Belgrave
Belgrave, Leicestershire
Belgrave is an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, consisting of the Leicester suburb of Belgrave in its entirety....
as Abbey Lane then meets at a roundabout with the A563 outer ring-road entering the borough of Charnwood
Charnwood (borough)
Charnwood is a borough of northern Leicestershire, England. It is named after Charnwood Forest, which it contains. Loughborough is the largest town in the district and serves as the borough's administrative and commercial centre.-History:...
, then passes the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
St Paul's Filling Station on the left. Leicestershire Constabulary
Leicestershire Constabulary
Leicestershire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland in England. Its headquarters are at Enderby, Leicestershire.The current Chief Constable is Simon Cole.-History:...
have a training college near here in Birstall
Birstall, Leicestershire
Birstall is a large village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north of the Leicester city centre and is part of the wider Leicester Urban Area....
. North of Leicester, as Loughborough Road it meets the A46 Leicester Western Bypass just south of Rothley
Rothley, Leicestershire
Rothley is a village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. Situated around west of the River Soar and north of the city of Leicester, it has a population of 3,612 inhabitants....
and the start of the four mile (6.4 km) £43.3m dual-carriageway Quorn-Mountsorrel
Mountsorrel
Mountsorrel is a village in Leicestershire on the River Soar, just south of Loughborough with a population in 2001 of 6,662 inhabitants.-Geography:...
Bypass, which opened in October 1991. The road at this point follows the Soar Valley
Soar Valley
The Soar Valley in Leicestershire, England is the basin of the River Soar, which rises south of Leicester and flows north through Charnwood before meeting the River Trent at Trent Lock on the Nottinghamshire border....
, and is mostly on embankment or viaduct, crossing the river four times. From here the road goes through Loughborough. although a new section of road from a roundabout with Ling Road (A6004) can be quicker and follows Epinal Way past the university
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
, avoiding the many traffic lights in the town centre. In Loughborough there is the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Elms Park Service Station on the right, and in the middle of Loughborough there is a Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury
J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
supermarket. Just north of Hathern
Hathern
Hathern is a large village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The village itself is located in the north of the district, and is just north of Loughborough. It is served by the A6. The parish has a population of about 1,800. Nearby places are Dishley, Long...
, where the A6006 (for Sutton Bonington
Sutton Bonington
Sutton Bonington is a village and civil parish lying along the valley of the River Soar in the Borough of Rushcliffe, south west Nottinghamshire, England. The University of Nottingham has a site just to the north of the village: Sutton Bonington Campus....
) and B5324 (for Long Whatton
Long Whatton
Long Whatton is a village in the English county of Leicestershire. It is south of East Midlands Airport, off Junctions 23 and 23A of the M1 motorway, and has easy access to Loughborough via the A6 and to Shepshed, Ashby de la Zouch and Kegworth....
) meet the road, there is the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Hathern Turn Service Station. There is a much-needed dual-carriageway section which skirts the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
border (the River Soar) and the road becomes London Road and enters the district of North West Leicestershire
North West Leicestershire
North West Leicestershire is a local government district in Leicestershire, England. Its main towns are Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Coalville.The district contains East Midlands Airport, which operates flights to the rest of Britain and to various places in Europe...
. It passes through Kegworth
Kegworth
Kegworth is a large village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England....
, passing the Britannia Inn and becomes Derby Road. It joins the M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
and A453
A453 road
The A453 road was formerly the main trunk road connecting the English cities of Nottingham and Birmingham. However, the middle section of this mainly single-carriageway road has largely been downgraded to B roads or unclassified roads following the construction of the parallel M42-A42 link around...
at the extremely busy roundabout of junction 24, which is where the A50
A50 road
The A50 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Warrington to Leicester; however, it was once a much longer route.-Current route:...
Derby to Stoke-on-Trent Link begins. The road follows one of the former A6 dual-carriageway sections, passing Lockington
Lockington, Leicestershire
Lockington is a village in the Leicestershire parish of Lockington cum Hemington. The village is close to the Derbyshire border.Although there isn't a rail station in the village, East Midlands Parkway opened nearby in 2008 at Ratcliffe-on-Soar which provides links to the Midland Main...
, before meeting traffic from the south-bound M1 at junction 24a. South-bound traffic on the A6 here has to negotiate a roundabout and a set of traffic lights, which has numerous and lengthy hold-ups at peak times. The three-laned A6 overlaps the A50 for a couple of miles, and there is a junction with the B6540 (former A453
A453 road
The A453 road was formerly the main trunk road connecting the English cities of Nottingham and Birmingham. However, the middle section of this mainly single-carriageway road has largely been downgraded to B roads or unclassified roads following the construction of the parallel M42-A42 link around...
) and crosses the Trent and Mersey Canal
Trent and Mersey Canal
The Trent and Mersey Canal is a in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and North West of England. It is a "narrow canal" for the vast majority of its length, but at the extremities—east of Burton upon Trent and west of Middlewich—it is a wide canal....
and River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, where it enters Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and the district of South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire
South Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. It contains a third of the National Forest, and the council offices are in Swadlincote....
. The A50/A6 passes a Welcome Break
Welcome Break
Welcome Break is a company which operates thirty-five motorway service stations in the UK. It is the second largest motorway service area operator behind Moto.-History:...
, with a Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
and Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
garage on both sides of the road near Shardlow
Shardlow
Shardlow is a village in Derbyshire, England about 8 km southeast of Derby and 12 km southwest of Nottingham. It is part of the civil parish of Shardlow and Great Wilne, and the district of South Derbyshire. It is also very close to the border with Leicestershire which follows the River Trent, ...
. The next section, the A6 Spur, was opened with the A50 in September 1997. The £10.6m dual-carriageway Alvaston
Alvaston
Alvaston is a suburb and ward of Derby, England. Alvaston is situated on the A6, three miles south-east of Derby city centre. It is bordered to the north by the wards of Derwent, Chaddesden and Spondon, to the east is the City Centre, to the south are Sinfin and Chellaston and to the west the...
Bypass/Improvement opened on 17 December 2003.
Elvaston Castle
Elvaston Castle
Elvaston Castle is a country park in Elvaston, Derbyshire, England with of woodlands, parkland and formal gardens. The centrepiece of the estate is Elvaston Castle itself. The castle is a Grade II* listed building but as at 2008 is regarded as a Building at Risk.-History:In the 16th century the...
is to the right. The road enters Derby initially along London Road, then at Alvaston
Alvaston
Alvaston is a suburb and ward of Derby, England. Alvaston is situated on the A6, three miles south-east of Derby city centre. It is bordered to the north by the wards of Derwent, Chaddesden and Spondon, to the east is the City Centre, to the south are Sinfin and Chellaston and to the west the...
it meets the A5111 Derby Ring Road (Raynesway built in the 1930s) at a roundabout where the A6 is not signposted to the left; directions to Matlock are given for Raynesway (to the right). This roundabout is proposed to be grade-separated (construction is to start later in 2009) as there are lengthy queues at peak times. Most traffic heading north continues along Raynesway and follows the Derby inner ring road to meet the A6, or follows the A61
A61 road
The A61 is a major trunk road in England. It runs from Derby to Thirsk in North Yorkshire. From Derby, it heads north via Alfreton, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon...
and A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
north to rejoin the A6 at Ambergate
Ambergate
Ambergate is a village in Derbyshire, England, where the River Amber joins the River Derwent.Until the early nineteenth century it was known as Toadmoor, with no more than a few artisans' cottages. The southerly half of the village was still shown as such on the Ordnance Survey's maps.It is about ...
via the A610
A610 road
The A610 is an A-road in England, which runs from Nottingham to Ambergate, where it joins the A6.-Route:The road starts in Nottingham at a roundabout which Maid Marian Way and Upper Parliament Street spur from. From here road ascends, passing Nottingham Cathedral. The A610 becomes Alfreton Road as...
. It passes the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Island Service Station on the left at the next roundabout, and the ring road leaves to the left. It enters Crewton and just after a hum-backed bridge it passes St Osmund's church to the left. There is a roundabout with Ascot Drive near the Derby Conference Centre, and the road exits to the right as Pride Parkway, which is related to the adjacent Pride Park
Pride Park
Pride Park is a business park on the outskirts of the city centre of Derby, UK. It covers 80 hectares of former industrial land between the River Derwent and railway lines.-History:...
Business Park and Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium located on the Pride Park business park on the outskirts of Derby, England. It is the current home of Football League Championship club Derby County, who moved to the stadium from the Baseball Ground upon its opening in 1997...
, home of Derby County F.C.
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. Nearby to the right, the former Wilmorton
Wilmorton
Wilmorton is a suburb of the city of Derby, England. It is situated between Alvaston and Osmaston, to the south of the city centre on the A6. It was given the name Wilmorton in 1897. In the late 1990s, a new section of the A6 was built from here to "The Cockpitt" roundabout, passing through Pride...
Campus of Derby College
Derby College
Derby College is a further education centre with sites located within Derbyshire , England and the surrounding area...
has now been demolished for housing. The former route of the A6 (London Road) is the A5194 and has an 18 tonne weight limit on a weak bridge, and passes the former Derby Royal Infirmary. The new section of the road initially dual-carriageway to the first roundabout, known as the Wilmorton Link, opened on 23 August 2001, and cost £3.86m. It is a Parkway
Parkway
The term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
type of road and crosses the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
,with three large roundabouts, adjacent parallel cycle ways, and passes by many car showroom
Car dealership
A car dealership or vehicle local distribution is a business that sells new or used cars at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. It employs automobile salespeople to do the selling...
s. At the first roundabout is the Pride Park Innkeepers Fayre pub, the Oberoi Consulting, Cooper & Parry, Egg Banking (second roundabout), Geldards LLP, an Old Orleans restaurant (third roundabout), a Harvester
Harvester (restaurant)
Harvester Restaurants is a popular family farmhouse-style licensed restaurant chain with more than 170 outlets in the United Kingdom.-History:-Courage:...
restaurant and a Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express
Holiday Inn Express is a mid-priced hotel chain within the InterContinental Hotels Group family of brands. As an "express" hotel, their focus is on offering limited services and a reasonable price. Standard amenities lean toward the convenient and practical which cater to business travelers and...
. It eventually reaches Litchurch
Litchurch
Litchurch is an area of the city of Derby in Derbyshire, England. Originally an obscure locality on the edge of Derby, rapid urbanisation and population growth in the 19th century led to it briefly existing as a separately governed local authority between 1860 and 1888, prior to once again being...
near Derby College's new Roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
site. The land on which it was built was a former gas works, and there are still two gas holders left to the north at the first roundabout. This £7m section from the first roundabout to Station Approach (B6000) was opened in January 1997, and includes a 900 ft viaduct, with 180 ft spans, that crosses the Midland Main Line. It meets the old route at The Cock Pitt, beside the new Westfield Derby, a former roundabout that was replaced with traffic lights in 2008, close to the centre of Derby with a multi-storey car park in the centre. The road overlaps the A601, Derby's inner ring-road and the A52
A52 road
The A52 is a major road in the East Midlands, England. It runs east from the junction with the A53 at Newcastle-under-Lyme near Stoke-on-Trent via Ashbourne, Derby, Stapleford, Nottingham, West Bridgford, Bingham, Grantham, Boston and Skegness before terminating on the east Lincolnshire coast at...
, crossing the River Derwent
River Derwent, Derbyshire
The Derwent is a river in the county of Derbyshire, England. It is 66 miles long and is a tributary of the River Trent which it joins south of Derby. For half its course, the river flows through the Peak District....
, then leaving to the left as King Street at an intersection on St Alkmund's Way near the former site of St Alkmund's Church, and passes The Flowerpot pub on the left. This section to the A38 has a weight limit. As King Street, it passes the Seven Stars pub. As Garden Street, it splits in two at an elongated roundabout surrounding the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Allens Service Station and Five Lamps pub. At a roundabout known locally as the Five Lamps, which has had controversial alterations, it becomes Duffield Road, passing the Broadway Hotel. At this roundabout, the older Derby inner ring road (Broadway - A5111) met the A6, before 1983, and the section until Allestree was also the A38 from 1975-83. North of Derby, there is the Palm Court roundabout (named after the former Palm Court café which closed in 2005 and was set up by the cricketer Sydney Barnes
Sydney Barnes
Sydney Francis Barnes was an English professional cricketer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the sport's history...
) junction with the A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
. In leafy Allestree
Allestree
-Climate:Due to its location in southern Derbyshire, Allestree has a temperate climate with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The warmest month is July, with an average temperature range of 11.4 °C to 21.3 °C, and the coolest month is January, with a range of...
, it passes the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
Allestree garage. The road follows the Derwent
River Derwent, Derbyshire
The Derwent is a river in the county of Derbyshire, England. It is 66 miles long and is a tributary of the River Trent which it joins south of Derby. For half its course, the river flows through the Peak District....
Valley, entering the district of Amber Valley
Amber Valley
Amber Valley is a local government district and borough in Derbyshire, England. It takes its name from the River Amber and covers a semi-rural area with a number of small towns formerly based around coal mining and engineering...
through Duffield and Belper
Belper
Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England.-Geography:Belper is situated eight miles north of Derby and is centred in the valley of the River Derwent...
, passing a large Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
(formerly Safeway
Safeway (UK)
Safeway was a chain of supermarkets and convenience stores in the United Kingdom. It started as a subsidiary of the American Safeway Inc., before being sold off in 1987....
) store. In Belper, it becomes Bridge Street, passing the Total
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
Lion Garage on the right. The road goes past a large mill
Derwent Valley Mills
Derwent Valley Mills is a World Heritage Site along the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England, designated in December 2001. It is administered by the Derwent Valley Mills Partnership. The modern factory, or 'mill', system was born here in the 18th century to accommodate the new technology for...
, formerly owned by Jedediah Strutt
Jedediah Strutt
Jedediah Strutt or Jedidiah Strutt – as he spelt it – was a hosier and cotton spinner from Belper, England.Strutt and his brother-in-law William Woollat developed an attachment to the stocking frame that allowed the production of ribbed stockings...
and now a museum. Further north it passes the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Riverside Station just before the A610 junction. At Whatstandwell
Whatstandwell
Whatstandwell is a village on the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England.It is about five miles south of Matlock and about four miles north of Belper...
it meets the B5035 (for Crich
Crich
Crich is a village in Derbyshire in England. It has the National Tramway Museum inside the Crich Tramway Village, and at the summit of Crich Hill above, a Memorial Tower for those of the Sherwood Foresters regiment who died in battle, particularly in World War I.Built in 1923 on the site of an...
and Wirksworth
Wirksworth
Wirksworth is a small market town in Derbyshire, England, with a population of over 9,000.The population of the Wirksworth area including Cromford, Bolehill and Middleton-by-Wirksworth is about 12,000. Wirksworth is listed in the Domesday Book in 1086. Within it is the source of the River...
), then enters the district of Derbyshire Dales
Derbyshire Dales
Derbyshire Dales is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. Much of the district is situated in the Peak District, although most of its population lies along the River Derwent....
. There is an Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Ridgewood Motors on the left, then at Cromford
Cromford
Cromford is a village, two miles to the south of Matlock in the Derbyshire Dales district in Derbyshire, England. It is principally known for its historical connection with Richard Arkwright, and the Cromford Mill which he built here in 1771...
, it meets the A5012
A5012 road
The A5012 road is a main road in the south of the English county of Derbyshire.Around in length it connects two primary north-south routes, the A6 at Cromford and the A515 between Buxton and Ashbourne...
(Via Gellia
Via Gellia
Via Gellia is a steep sided wooded 'dry' valley and road in Derbyshire.It is probably named after Phillip Eyre Gell in a mock Latin style; he was responsible for building the road through the valley, and the Gells claimed Roman descent...
). Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath is a village south of Matlock in Derbyshire, England. Built along the River Derwent, it developed, in the 19th century, as a spa town and still thrives on tourism.-History:In 1698 warm springs were discovered and a Bath House was built...
is a mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
for motorbikers, and many use the A6 for pleasure and speed, and close by is Gulliver's Kingdom
Gulliver's Kingdom
Gulliver's Kingdom is an amusement park aimed at children aged 3 to 13 in the Derbyshire town of Matlock Bath, England. Founded in 1978 by Ray Phillips, it is still owned by the Phillips family and now has sister theme parks; Gulliver's World in Warrington and Gulliver's Land in Milton Keynes,...
. Entering Matlock, the road passes under the railway
Derwent Valley Line
The Derwent Valley Line is a railway line from Derby to Matlock in Derbyshire.The line follows the Midland Main Line as far as Ambergate Junction, which is just south of Ambergate railway station, continuing to Matlock, following the course of the River Derwent.*Derby*Duffield**Former branch line...
and along a new bypass past the new Sainsbury's development and new bus station and then over the River Derwent, meeting the A615 at a roundabout. The road then continues on Bakewell Road into Darley Dale
Darley Dale
Darley Dale, also known simply as Darley, is a town in Derbyshire, England, with a population of around 6,000 people. It lies north of Matlock, on the River Derwent and the A6 road.- History :...
, where the road, as Dale Road, passes the hospital, the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Two Dales Service Station, and crossroads with the B5057. On the right is the Dale Road Filling Station
Peak District - Manchester
From Matlock the road enters the Peak District National Park. From RowsleyRowsley
Rowsley is a village on the A6 road in the English county of Derbyshire.It is at the point where the River Wye flows into the River Derwent and prospered from mills on both.-Overview:...
, it follows the River Wye
River Wye, Derbyshire
The River Wye is a limestone river in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England. It is in length, and is one of the major tributaries of the River Derwent, which flows into the River Trent, and ultimately into the Humber and the North Sea....
, meeting the B5056 near the endpoint of the River Lathkill
River Lathkill
The River Lathkill is a river in the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, England.First recorded in 1280, the name "Lathkill" possibly has Scandinavian roots, the old Norse hlada-kill translating as "narrow valley with a barn".-Course:...
. It passes Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall is an English country house on the River Wye at Bakewell, Derbyshire, one of the seats of the Duke of Rutland, occupied by Lord Edward Manners and his family. In form a medieval manor house, it has been described as "the most complete and most interesting house of [its]...
and enters Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
passing the Murco Park View Filling Station on the right and Total
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
on the right, meeting the B5055 and A619 at a roundabout. At Ashford-in-the-Water
Ashford-in-the-Water
Ashford-in-the-Water is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, England, and on the River Wye. It is known for the quarrying of Ashford Black Marble , and for the Maiden's Garlands made to mark the deaths of virgins in the village until 1801. Some of these are preserved in the parish church...
, there is a junction with the A6020 (for Baslow
Baslow
Baslow is a village in Derbyshire, England, in the Peak District, lying between Sheffield and Bakewell. It is situated on the River Derwent just north of Chatsworth House. A seventeenth century bridge spans the river in the village, alongside which is a contemporary toll house...
). The road passes through Taddington Dale. Taddington
Taddington
Taddington is a village in Derbyshire, England. It lies over 1100 feet above sea level, on the former A6 road between Buxton and Bakewell, in the Derbyshire Dales district. To the east, the A6 runs through Taddington Dale, while Taddington Moor lies to the west.Taddington grew around farming and...
has a dual-carriageway bypass. There are junctions with the B6049 (for Blackwell
Blackwell in the Peak
Blackwell is a village in the Derbyshire Dales local government district of Derbyshire, England, on the A6 main road between Bakewell and Buxton.It is sometimes referred to as "Blackwell-in-the-Peak" to distinguish it from Blackwell near Alfreton....
) and A5270, and it enters the district of High Peak and passes under four railway bridges. It enters Buxton as Bakewell Road, passing a Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
on the left and meets the B5059 at a roundabout. It leaves Buxton as Fairfield Road, and heads towards Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
slightly north-east to Dove Holes
Dove Holes
Dove Holes is a village in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England. It has a population of about 1,200. It straddles the A6 road and it lies three miles from Buxton and three miles from Chapel-en-le-Frith. Trains run from Dove Holes railway station into Manchester.Residents of the village...
and to a roundabout with the A623
The four mile (6.4 km) £38m part-dual-carriageway Chapel-en-le-Frith
Chapel-en-le-Frith
Chapel-en-le-Frith is a small town in Derbyshire, England, on the edge of the Peak District near the border with Cheshire, from Manchester. Dubbed "The Capital of the Peak District", the settlement was established by the Normans in the 12th century, originally as a hunting lodge within the Forest...
& Whaley Bridge
Whaley Bridge
Whaley Bridge is a small town and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England, situated on the River Goyt. Whaley Bridge is approximately south of Manchester, north of Buxton , east of Macclesfield and west of Sheffield, and had a population of 6,226 at the 2001 census. This...
Bypass opened in August 1987. The former route is the B5470. The bypass ends with a roundabout with the A5004 for Whaley Bridge and Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
(via the B5470
B5470 road
The B5470 is a road in England, running from Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire to Macclesfield, Cheshire via Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire. The hilly and winding section between Whaley Bridge and Macclesfield is often called ‘The Highwayman’ after a prominent roadside pub...
). It crosses the Peak Forest Canal
Peak Forest Canal
The Peak Forest Canal, is a narrow locked artificial waterway in northern England. It is long and forms part of the connected English/Welsh inland waterway network.-General description:...
and the B6062 leads to Chinley
Chinley
Chinley is a rural village in High Peak Borough, situated on the western edge of the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, England, with a population of around 2000. Before the railway, the area was economically dominated by agriculture and quarrying. Three textile mills were established in...
, then goes under the Buxton Line
Buxton Line
The Buxton Line is a railway line in northern England, connecting Manchester with Buxton in Derbyshire. Passenger services on the line are currently operated by Northern Rail and most continue through Manchester from Blackpool North.-History:...
. At Furness Vale
Furness Vale
Furness Vale is a village in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England situated between New Mills and Whaley Bridge. It is bisected by the A6 road and the Peak Forest Canal...
it passes the railway station
Furness Vale railway station
Furness Vale railway station is 24 km south east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Manchester to Buxton line. This station has a level crossing at the end of the platform controlled by Furness Vale Signal Box which is situated just next to the crossing.The station is on the Stockport, Disley...
and the primary school. It meets the A6015 (for New Mills
New Mills
New Mills is a town in Derbyshire, England approximately south-east of Stockport and from Manchester. It is sited at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Sett, on the border of Cheshire. The town stands above the Torrs, a deep gorge, cut through Woodhead Hill Sandstone of the Carboniferous period...
) at Newtown, near the railway station
New Mills Newtown railway station
New Mills Newtown railway station serves the town of New Mills in Derbyshire, England. The station is 23 km south east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Manchester to Buxton line...
and primary school, where the road enters Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. At Disley
Disley
Disley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located on the very edge of the Peak District, in the Goyt Valley, very close to the county boundary with Derbyshire at New Mills, and south of Stockport, Greater...
on Market Street, there is the Total
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
Disley garage, and the road passes the primary school, the Crescent Inn, police station and the Dandy Cock then crosses the Buxton Line near the railway station
Disley railway station
Disley railway station serves the village of Disley in Cheshire, England. It is 20 km south east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Manchester to Buxton line, built by the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway...
near the Rams Head Vintage Inn. At High Lane
High Lane
High Lane is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Cheshire, it is five miles from Stockport, on the Macclesfield Canal. It has a population of 5852.-Governance:...
, the road enters the Borough of Stockport
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centred around the town of Stockport. It has a population of about 280,600 and includes the outyling areas of Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme, Marple, Bredbury, Reddish and Romiley...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
.
There were plans in the 1970s for a bypass around Stockport, by a motorway initially known as the A6(M), which never was given the go-ahead, although many construction schemes were designed. It was kicked into touch
Touch (rugby)
Touch is the area outside two touch-lines which define the sides of the playing area in a game of rugby football. As the touch-lines are not part of the playing area they are usually included as part of touch....
in July 1998, in the distant early years of the 1997 Labour government
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. Due to build up of traffic in the Stockport area, the same scheme is now going to be built as the A555, to link up east of Stockport with the M60
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
. In July 2006, it finally received the full funding to proceed. In Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove
-Education:Hazel Grove has a number of primary schools and Hazel Grove High School, the local high school. Some do decide to go to other local high schools, such as local Marple Hall, in neighbouring village Marple. The main primary schools in the area are, Hazel Grove Primary School, Torkington...
it goes under the viaduct carrying the South TransPennine railway line, and meets the A523
A523 road
The A523 is a road in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, England running from a junction with the A52 north west of Ashbourne to the A6 in Hazel Grove, passing through Leek, Macclesfield and Poynton....
(for Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
) from the left and the A627 (from Romiley
Romiley
Romiley is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It borders Marple, Bredbury and Woodley. In Roman times there is thought to have been a settlement along Sandy Lane...
) from the right. There is McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
on the left near the Hazel Grove railway station
Hazel Grove railway station
Hazel Grove railway station is on the Stockport to Buxton / Sheffield line, serving the village of Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, England. It was built for the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway by the London and North Western Railway and opened on 9 June 1857...
.
Towards Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, there is a Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury
J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
on the right, and the road becomes Buxton Road. In Stepping Hill, it goes near the Stepping Hill Hospital
Stepping Hill Hospital
Stepping Hill Hospital in a hospital in Stockport, Greater Manchester.Stepping Hill Hospital is Stockport NHS Foundation Trust's main hospital, which looks after a population of approximately 350,000 people. Dr C. F. Burke is the Trust's Chief Executive while...
. There is the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
Stockport garage near the Woodsmoor railway station
Woodsmoor railway station
Woodsmoor railway station is on the Buxton Line, serving the Woodsmoor suburb of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England, opened by British Rail in 1990.It has two platforms and a ticket office with limited opening times....
and in Great Moor, the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Great Moor Service Station relatively near the Davenport railway station
Davenport railway station
Davenport railway station serves the Davenport suburb of Stockport.The station is 11 km south east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Buxton Line....
, where it meets the B6171, the A5102 (for Bramhall
Bramhall
Bramhall is a suburb of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of about 25,500.Research by the University of Sheffield has placed Bramhall as the "least lonely" place in Britain. Bramhall is also regarded as an affluent area where most residents...
) to the right. As the road approaches Stockport town centre there is the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Grosvenor Service Station, near the crossroads with the B5465. At Mersey Square, Stockport just before the road crosses the M60
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
, the road becomes Wellington Road North, crosses the Stockport to Stalybridge Line
Stockport to Stalybridge Line
The Stockport to Stalybridge Line is a short railway line in Greater Manchester, running from Stockport north east to Stalybridge. Although it once received a frequent service, for the past few years it has been served by a single train run by Northern Rail, once a week in one direction.This...
and the Total
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
Wellington Road garage is on the right. At Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel is an area in the northern part of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It borders the Manchester districts of Levenshulme to the north, the Stockport districts of Heaton Moor to the west, Reddish and Heaton Norris to the east and Heaton Mersey to the west and south...
, there are crossroads with the B5169 (for Reddish
Reddish
Reddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of Stockport and southeast of Manchester...
), and the A626 joins to the right. It enters the city of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
just before it meets the B6178 and becomes Stockport Road near the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
Levenshulme
Levenshulme
Levenshulme is an urban area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. It borders Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel and Reddish, and is approximately halfway between Stockport and Manchester City Centre on the A6 road. The A6 bisects Levenshulme. The Manchester to London railway...
station on the right. Near the junction with the B5093 is the Levenshulme railway station
Levenshulme railway station
Levenshulme railway station serves the Levenshulme area of the city of Manchester, England. The station is south east of Manchester Piccadilly towards Stockport....
. It goes under the railway and meets the A5079 Slade Lane from the south. There are crossroads with the A6010, and the A5184 leaves to the left. In Longsight
Longsight
Longsight is an area of Manchester, England, about south of the city centre. Its population is about 16,000.-History:Longsight has been known over the past for its gang related violence, similar to that of nearby Moss Side. Most of the violence came from tensions between 2 gangs; The Longsight...
, it meets the A665 Manchester inner ring road and the A57
A57 road
The A57 is a major road in England. It runs east from Liverpool to Lincoln, via Warrington, Cadishead, Irlam, Patricroft, Eccles, Salford and Manchester, then through the Pennines over the Snake Pass , around the Ladybower Reservoir, through Sheffield and past Worksop...
at a roundabout, which it overlaps until it goes under the A57(M)
A57(M) motorway
The Mancunian Way, officially the A57, is a two mile long motorway in Manchester, England. It is part of the A57, which runs east-west through Greater Manchester and links the M602 and M67 motorways.-Route:...
/A635(M), passing the old site of UMIST
UMIST
The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for research...
(now the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
).
Manchester - Chorley
North of Manchester, the road continues through ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Salford, and passes through the various former cotton mill towns of central Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, notably through Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, Preston and Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
. Its route remains paralleled by the M6 and M61 motorways here, including the oldest motorway stretch in the UK (M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
Preston by-pass).
In Manchester, the road crosses the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
and enters the city of Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
. Here the road is called Chapel Street where the original Salford Royal Hospital stands (now flats) at its junction with Adelphi Street. At the Adelphi Street/Oldfield Road junction its name changes to the Crescent. Along this stretch we now pass several places of cultural interest including the University of Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
, and Salford Museum and Art Gallery
Salford Museum and Art Gallery
Salford Museum and Art Gallery, in Peel Park, Salford, Greater Manchester, first opened to the public in November 1850 as the "Royal Museum & Public Library". One of the most important appreciation is that it serves as the first public library in the UK to provide free access to people...
on the right, as well as the Old Fire Station and the Working Class Movement Library
Working Class Movement Library
The Working Class Movement Library is a collection of English language books, periodicals, pamphlets, archives and artefacts relating to the development of the political and cultural institutions of the working class which were created by the Industrial Revolution...
on the left. Along this stretch it also passes Salford Crescent railway station
Salford Crescent railway station
Salford Crescent is one of two railway stations in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The other station is Salford Central.The station is west of Manchester Victoria and west of Manchester Piccadilly...
near the junction with Albion Way. It then carries on as the dual carriageway Broad Street through Pendleton
Pendleton, Greater Manchester
Pendleton is an inner city area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is about from Manchester city centre. The A6 dual carriageway skirts the east of the district....
past Salford Shopping City (Salford Precinct) and the junction with Langworthy Road (A5186). It next arrives at Irlams o' th' Height
Irlams o' th' Height
Irlams o' th' Height is an area of Pendleton, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is on the extremity of the City of Salford metropolitan district boundary, and stands next to Swinton and Pendlebury...
where it departs from the dual carriageway (where the A580 East Lancashire Road
A580 road
The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Walton, near Liverpool and Salford, near Manchester and known officially as Liverpool-East Lancashire Road. Locally, the road is shortened to the "East Lancs". The road was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for...
begins) at the old Irlams o' th' Height/Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
(roundabout) boundary. Once round the Height roundabout it becomes Manchester Road as it goes through Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
for a short distance passing both the site of the former Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital is a children's hospital based in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, England. It is part of the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust...
and Hospital Road on the right. Next we enter Swinton
Swinton, Greater Manchester
Swinton is a town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located on the A6 road it stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
and pass Victoria Park on the right opposite the junction with Barton Road. The Farmer's Arms, the White Lion (both on the left) and the Cricketer's Arms (on the right) pubs are all shortly followed by the junction with Worsley Road (A572) where its name changes to Chorley Road. Along Chorley Road we soon pass Swinton Post Office and Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury was a local government district of the administrative county of Lancashire, England. It was created in 1894 as an urban district and enlarged in 1934, gaining the status of municipal borough.-Constituent civil parishes:...
Town Hall (Salford Civic Centre) on the left with Swinton Shopping Centre on the right. At this point is the town centre's crossroads with Partington Lane (on the left) and Station Road (on the right) which are both part of the B5231. On the left are the town hall's once hallowed lawns and Swinton Parish Church (St. Peter's
St. Peter's Church
St. Peter's Church, or variations on that name including Old St. Peter's Church, may refer to:-Bermuda:* St. Peter's Church, St. George's, the oldest-surviving Anglican church outside the British Isles, and the oldest surviving Protestant church in the New World.-Ireland:* St. Peter's Church,...
) on opposite corners. Both the Central Library and the Bull's Head pub are seen on the right on opposite corners. The new Swinton Police Station is just 138 yards (126.2 m) along on the left from the town centre junction. Then once past the Forester's Arms pub (on the right) and the junction with Moorside Road and the Red Lion pub ("The Cat") to the left we very soon arrive in Manchester Road, Wardley
Wardley, Greater Manchester
Wardley is a district of Swinton near Manchester. It borders the Linnyshaw/Walkden and Swinton areas.-Road:The A6 road passes through the district with frequent bus services linking Bolton, Farnworth and Walkden with Swinton, Salford and Manchester...
(at Sindsley Brook) passing the Morning Star pub (on the right) as the road heads north west towards Linnyshaw
Linnyshaw
Linnyshaw is an area of Walkden, a town in the City of Salford district of Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it lies in the northeast of Walkden, immediately south of junction 2 of the M61 motorway. The area is predominantly moss and there is a very small population...
and Walkden
Walkden
Walkden is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester....
.
It then goes under the M60
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
near the junction with the M61
M61 motorway
The M61 motorway is a motorway in North West England. It runs from the M60 motorway northwest of Manchester and heads northwest past Bolton and Chorley to join the M6 just north of the junction between the M6 and M65 motorways to the south of Preston....
, near the Worsley Braided Interchange and Wardley Hall (home of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salford
Bishop of Salford
The Bishop of Salford is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford in the Province of Liverpool, England.With the gradual abolition of the legal restrictions on the activities of Catholics in England and Wales in the early 19th century, Rome decided to proceed to bridge the gap of the...
) and enters Whittle Brook and Walkden
Walkden
Walkden is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester....
as Manchester Road, passing the Linnyshaw
Linnyshaw
Linnyshaw is an area of Walkden, a town in the City of Salford district of Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it lies in the northeast of Walkden, immediately south of junction 2 of the M61 motorway. The area is predominantly moss and there is a very small population...
Industrial Estate on the right. It passes the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Gordon Limes Service Station on the left, and meets the A575 (for Worsley
Worsley
Worsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area....
and Farnworth
Farnworth
Farnworth is within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is located southeast of Bolton, 6 miles south-west of Bury , and northwest of Manchester....
) and B5232 (for Boothstown
Boothstown
Boothstown is a residential village straddling the City of Salford and Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is situated to the west of the City of Salford, bordered to the north by the East Lancashire Road A580 and to the south by the Bridgewater Canal...
) at crossroads where the road is dual-carriageway as the High Street. It becomes Manchester Road East and passes a Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
on the right, progressing towards the district of Little Hulton
Little Hulton
Little Hulton is a village—effectively a suburb—within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies south of Bolton, west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
, which it enters a few minutes later. It meets the A5082 (for Tyldesley
Tyldesley
Tyldesley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It occupies an area north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, east-southeast of Wigan and west-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and Farnworth) at crossroads near St. Paul's, Peel Church, becoming Manchester Road West, passing St. Paul's, Peel and Wharton primary schools.
On leaving Little Hulton, the road enters the Borough of Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
near the Chloride Battery Works on the left. Near Farnworth, the road meets the M61
M61 motorway
The M61 motorway is a motorway in North West England. It runs from the M60 motorway northwest of Manchester and heads northwest past Bolton and Chorley to join the M6 just north of the junction between the M6 and M65 motorways to the south of Preston....
, at junction 4, which closely follows parallel with the A6 up to Preston. The road is now the primary route Salford Road and meets the A579 at crossroads at Hulton Lane Ends near the Red Lion and Hulton Arms, becoming Manchester Road. It meets the A58
A58 road
The A58 is a major road in northern England that runs between Prescot, Merseyside and Wetherby, West Yorkshire.It runs north east from Prescot on the outskirts of Liverpool via St Helens, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Westhoughton, Bolton, Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Littleborough then over the...
at a roundabout at Chequerbent and is no longer a trunk road, close to M61 junction 5, then enters Westhoughton
Westhoughton
Westhoughton is a town and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is southwest of Bolton, east of Wigan and northwest of Manchester....
, passing the Mercury Filling Station on the left. There is the B5235 near the White Horse Tavern, then it crosses the Manchester-Southport Line, and it meets the B5236 at Wingates
Wingates
Wingates is a small settlement located in the town of Westhoughton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.Historically part of Lancashire, it lies mainly along the A6 road between Blackrod and Walkden. It is the home of Wingates Band, one of best-known brass bands in...
, near the St. John's Primary School and the St. John the Evangelist Church. On leaving Westhoughton, the road becomes Chorley Road. At Four Gates, there is the B5239 for Aspull at the Royal Oak pub. It meets the A6027 roundabout close to the M61 junction 6 for Horwich
Horwich
Horwich is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Chorley, northwest of Bolton and northwest from the city of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway close to the...
. It passes through Hilton House, at Scot Lane End, it meets the B5408 (the former route) for Blackrod
Blackrod
Blackrod is a settlement and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north-northeast of Wigan and west of Bolton and, according to the United Kingdom Census 2001, has a population of 5,300....
, becoming the Blackrod By-Pass Road. It meets the B5238, for Horwich, at crossroads near Blackrod railway station
Blackrod railway station
Blackrod railway station serves the village of Blackrod, 6.5 miles north west of Bolton railway station, 1.5 miles from the town centre of Horwich - closer indeed than station....
and the Ridgeway Arms Hotel. Close by on the M61 is the Rivington services (formerly Bolton West services). It rejoins the old route where it meets the B5408, near the Thatch & Thistle pub. It enters Adlington
Adlington, Lancashire
Adlington is a town and civil parish in Lancashire, England, near the West Pennine Moors and the town of Chorley. Six miles northwest of Bolton, it became a separate parish in 1842 then grew into a town around the textile industry. It has a population of 5,270.-Toponymy:The last element 'ington'...
, and the district of Chorley
Chorley (borough)
Chorley is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It is named after its largest settlement, the town of Chorley.-Creation:...
where it crosses the River Douglas
River Douglas
The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland or Astland, is a river that flows through Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west of England...
as Chorley Road, becoming Market Street and passing the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Les Walkden Garage on the left. In the centre of Adlington it meets the B6227 near Adlington railway station
Adlington (Lancashire) railway station
Adlington railway station serves the village of Adlington, near Chorley in Lancashire, England. It is a two-platform station on the Chorley-Bolton line...
, and the police station, becoming Church Street then Westhoughton Road. It crosses the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
and meets the A673 from Bolton and A5106 from Standish
Standish, Greater Manchester
Standish is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is located on the A49 road between the towns of Chorley and Wigan, a short distance from Junction 27 of the M6 motorway....
.
It crosses the River Yarrow
River Yarrow (Lancashire)
The River Yarrow is in Lancashire, with its source at an area called Will Narr at Hordern Stoops, along Spitlers Edge - the Chorley/Blackburn boundary - on the West Pennine Moors. The river feeds the Yarrow Reservoir, which in turn feeds the Anglezarke and Upper and Lower Rivington Reservoirs...
and passes the Miller's pub and the Albany Science College as Bolton Road. In Chorley, the central section is dual-carriageway with many roundabouts. It meets the B6228 at a roundabout, passes a Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
and the railway station
Chorley railway station
Chorley railway station serves Chorley in Lancashire, England. Since 2004 it has been linked with its "interchange" bus and coach station.The railway station is a modern 1980s built on top of the original station, the level of which can be seen under the existing station's two platforms connected...
, then meets the A581 and B6229. It passes the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Preston Road Service Station and a hospital on the left and meets the B5252 at a roundabout where it crosses the railway. The dual-carriageway A674 to the right goes to Blackburn via the nearby junction 8 of the M61 and a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
temple.
Chorley - Carnforth
From Chorley, it meets the B6229 and B5248 at Whittle-le-WoodsWhittle-le-Woods
Whittle-le-Woods is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. Residents of Whittle-le-Woods are called Whittlers....
, passing the St John the Evangelist Church and Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Jubilee Service Station on the right, crossing the River Lostock
River Lostock
The River Lostock is a river in Lancashire, England.The source of the Lostock is at the confluence of Slack Brook and Whave's Brook at the entrance to Miller Wood near Withnell Fold....
. It enters Clayton-le-Woods
Clayton-le-Woods
Clayton-le-Woods is a large village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it has a population of 14,528.-Geography:...
, passing the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
Clayton Green on the left, and meets the B5256 (for Leyland
Leyland, Lancashire
Leyland is a town in the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England, approximately six miles south of the city of Preston.Throughout the 20th and 21st century, the community has seen a large growth in industry, population and farming, due to the establishment of Leyland Motors, housing...
) at a roundabout, near a large Asda, Cuerden Valley Park and Cuerden Hall
Cuerden Hall
Cuerden Hall is a country mansion in the village of Cuerden near Preston, Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. The Hall was formerly a family home between 1717 and 1906, and used by the Army up until the 1960s. It is now a Sue Ryder Care Home...
. It passes through Clayton Brook
Clayton Brook
Clayton Brook is a large residential estate in Lancashire, between the city of Preston and the town of Chorley. It forms part of the Clayton-le-Woods civil parish, and is in the Clayton-le-Woods North ward of the borough of Chorley...
, passing the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Clayton Brook Service Station on the right, and crosses the M65
M65 motorway
The M65 is a motorway in Lancashire, England. It runs from just south of Preston through the major junction of the M6 and M61 motorways, east past Darwen, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Nelson and ends at Colne.-History:...
, entering the district of South Ribble
South Ribble
South Ribble is a non-metropolitan district and borough of Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Leyland.In May 2007, the council was officially declared "Excellent" by the Audit Commission, gaining its place among the best 5 district councils in the country,-Overview:On 4 October 2007, a...
, near its western terminus. There are two roundabouts for the Walton Summit
Walton Summit
Walton Summit is an industrial area between Clayton Brook and Bamber Bridge, near Preston in Lancashire. It is in the South Ribble district. It is near the M61, M65 and M6 motorways and actually has a bit of single carriageway motorway from the M65/M61 roundabout. Walton Summit has very good road...
Industrial Estate, either of which lead to the Walton Summit Motorway. Next is a roundabout with the M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
at junction 29, which is now shared with the M65 where the it becomes a trunk road. This was the start of Britain's first motorway, built in 1958. The road becomes dual-carriageway as it enters Bamber Bridge
Bamber Bridge
Bamber Bridge is a village to the south of Preston, Lancashire, England. The name derives from the Old English 'bēam' and 'brycg', which probably means "tree-trunk bridge". It is mentioned in an undated medieval document. The village is often referred to as "Brig" by residents...
. There are crossroads with the northern terminus of the A49
A49 road
The A49 is a major road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with...
and the B6258 near a large Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury
J. Sainsbury plc is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd, commonly known as Sainsbury's, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom with a share of the UK supermarket sector of 16.5%....
on the right and B & Q on the left, then a roundabout with the A582 - where the road heads north to the right. The start of the M65 is accessible only from this roundabout at junction 1a. It crosses the East Lancashire Line
East Lancashire Line
The East Lancashire Line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley ....
and meets the B5257 at a roundabout. It meets the B6230 at a roundabout at Dog Kennel Wood, crosses the River Darwen
River Darwen
The River Darwen is a river running through Darwen and Blackburn in Lancashire.The river was seriously polluted with human and industrial effluent during the Industrial Revolution, up to the early 1970s. The river often changed colour dramatically as a result of paper and paint mills routinely...
and meets the A675 (for Walton-le-Dale
Walton-le-Dale
Walton-le-Dale is a village in the Borough of South Ribble, in Lancashire, England. It lies on south bank of the River Ribble, and the south-side of the city of Preston, adjacent to Bamber Bridge.-Toponymy:...
).
It crosses the River Ribble
River Ribble
The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...
and the Ribble Way
Ribble Way
The Ribble way is a long distance walk between the Lancashire coast and the Yorkshire Dales National Park largely following the course of the River Ribble....
, entering the district of Preston. The road enters Preston as a single carriageway, meeting the A59
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
(for Blackburn), B6243 (for Ribbleton
Ribbleton
Ribbleton is a suburb and ward of the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. It is located to the east of the city centre, between the A59 New Hall Lane and the B6243 Longridge Road. The M6 motorway also runs through the area...
), and A6063. It passes through the centre of Preston, becoming North Road, passes the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
North Road Service Station on the right, meets the A5071 Moor Lane, then becomes Garstang Road, passes the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Key Filling Station on the right and Moor Park
Moor Park, Preston
Moor Park is a large park to the north of the city centre of Preston, Lancashire, England. Moor Park is also the name of the electoral ward covering the park and the surrounding area...
, and crosses the A5085, passing the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
Fulwood garage on the left. At Fulwood
Fulwood, Lancashire
Fulwood is an unparished area of the City of Preston, Lancashire, England, about north of the city centre. It had a population of 33,171 in 2001.- Economy and society :Fulwood remains a distinctive division of Preston...
, it meets the B6242 at crossroads, then passes the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Fulwood Service Station and Sharoe Green
Sharoe Green
Sharoe Green is a largely residential suburban area of Preston, Lancashire, England and an electoral ward. It is nowadays usually considered to be a district of the larger suburb of Fulwood...
. It meets the B6241 Preston ring road near junction 1 of the M55
M55 motorway
The M55 is a motorway in Lancashire, England, which can also be referred to as the Preston Northern Bypass. It connects the seaside resort of Blackpool to the M6 at Preston. It is 11.4 miles in length.-Route:...
, the other end of Britain's first motorway where it no longer is a trunk road.
It passes the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Broughton Filling Station on the left and crosses Woodplumpton Brook and meets the B5269 at crossroads at Broughton
Broughton, Lancashire
Broughton is a village and civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England, about north of Preston city centre. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,735...
, passing the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Kinders Garage on the right. It meets Barton
Barton, Preston
Barton is a linear village and civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England. The parish had a population of 1,096 according to the 2001 census.-Geography:The village is about north of Preston. The parish is bound by the A6 road to the west...
as Garstang Road and passes the Barton Grange Hotel and the Barton Fox, running along the Preston and Wyre district boundary, and begins to run parallel to the West Coast Main Line, which it crosses. The district boundary crosses to the other side of the road and it enters the district of Wyre
Wyre
Wyre is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Poulton-le-Fylde.The district is named after the River Wyre, which runs through the district...
. It passes through Bilsborrow
Bilsborrow
Bilsborrow is a village on the A6 road and the Lancaster Canal, in the Wyre District, in the English county of Lancashire. It is approximately east of Myerscough...
and the Roebuck. It leaves the district boundary, and crosses the River Brock
River Brock
The River Brock is a river running through the county of Lancashire in England.Commencing its journey on Fair Snape Fell, the infant River Brock runs beneath the Bleasdale Circle before continuing via Claughton and Bilsborrow to St Michael's On Wyre, where it joins the River Wyre.-Tributaries:*New...
at Brock, near the Brockholes Arms, over the Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
. On the right, it passes the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Claughton Garage and Total
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
Rogers of Brock. At Catterall
Catterall
Catterall is a civil parish in the county of Lancashire in the north of England, located within the Borough of Wyre. Historically in the Amounderness Hundred, it is situated on the A6 between Lancaster and Preston, a short distance from the town of Garstang, and Myerscough College. The Wyre, Calder...
, it meets the B6430 and crosses the River Wyre
River Wyre
The River Wyre is a river in Lancashire, United Kingdom, which flows into the Irish Sea at Fleetwood. It is approximately 28 miles in length...
, and meets the A586 (for Churchtown
Kirkland, Lancashire
Kirkland is a civil parish located on the banks of the River Wyre midway between Preston and Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. It is also the historic name of the village of Churchtown within the parish. There are two pubs: the Punchbowl and the Horns Inn.Kirkland forms part of the...
). It passes the Churchtown Service Station on the right and enters Garstang
Garstang
Garstang is a town and civil parish within the Wyre borough of Lancashire, England. It is ten miles north-northwest of the city of Preston and eleven miles south of Lancaster, and had a total resident population of 4,074 in 2001....
and crosses the Lancaster Canal again. It meets the B5272 and B6430 near the Crofters Hotel, passes the Houghton's Filling Station and Redline Garage on the left, and enters Cabus
Cabus
Cabus is a village in Lancashire, England.It lies 12 miles north of Preston, 9 miles south of Lancaster and 16 miles north east of Blackpool.It also has Cabusmart It has a population of about 1,300 and resides in the Wyre district....
, passing Quattros's restaurant. At Forton
Forton, Lancashire
Forton is a village and a civil parish in the Wyre District of the English county of Lancashire near the Forest of Bowland. It is near the A6 road, between the city of Lancaster and the town of Garstang. Its population is approximately 574...
, it passes the Pennine Filling Station on the left and the New Holly Inn, close to the Forton service station
Lancaster (Forton) services
Lancaster services is a motorway service station, between junctions 32 and 33 of the M6 motorway in England. The nearest city is Lancaster, about seven miles to the north. The station is operated by Moto....
on the M6. At Potters Brook, it meets a crossroads and enters the city of Lancaster
City of Lancaster
The City of Lancaster , is a local government district of Lancashire, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Lancaster, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Morecambe, Heysham, and Carnforth, as well as...
. It meets the M6 at junction 33 and goes through Galgate
Galgate
Galgate is a village in the City of Lancaster, just south of Lancaster University, and about south of Lancaster itself in the English county of Lancashire.-Etymology:...
as Main Road, passing the Plough Inn and New Inn, and under the West Coast Main Line, which it then runs adjacent to. The University of Lancaster lies in the one kilometre separation between the A6 and the M6, where there is a short section of dual-carriageway on the A6 alongside the West Coast Main Line. There is a right turn for Bailrigg
Bailrigg
Bailrigg is a village in Lancashire, England. The University of Lancaster campus is situated in Bailrigg, and the student radio station Bailrigg FM is named after the village.-Campus:...
. The road enters Lancaster as Scotforth
Scotforth
Scotforth is a civil parish and a suburb in the south of the city of City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. It is home to Scotforth St Paul's Church of England Primary School and St Paul's Church. The parish had a population of 239 recorded in the 2001 census.Parts of Lancaster were made up of...
Road then Greaves Road, passing the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Toll Bar Service Station on the left, BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Bowling Green Service Station on the right, Scotforth St Paul's Primary School on the left and St Paul's Church.
It meets the A588 for Preesall
Preesall
Preesall is a town and civil parish in Lancashire, England. The parish covers the eastern bank of the estuary of the River Wyre, including Knott End-on-Sea, Pilling Lane and the village of Preesall itself...
at a roundabout, goes past the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on the left, then crosses the Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
. It splits up in two as it passes through the centre of Lancaster. It rejoins and splits again to cross the River Lune
River Lune
The River Lune is a river in Cumbria and Lancashire, England.It is formed at Wath, in the parish of Ravenstonedale, Cumbria, at the confluence of Sandwath Beck and Weasdale Beck...
on the Greyhound Bridge and older http://www.priory.lancs.ac.uk/skerton_bridge.htmlSkerton Bridge
Skerton Bridge
Skerton Bridge is a road bridge carrying the southbound lanes of the A6 road over the River Lune in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The bridge has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.-History:...
]. The A589 leaves to left for Morecambe
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
and the A683 to the right for Caton
Caton, Lancashire
The civil parish of Caton with Littledale is situated in Lancashire, England near the River Lune. The parish lies within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and contains the villages of Caton, Brookhouse, Caton Green, Littledale and Townend.-History:The original settlement of...
and M6 junction 34. The road rejoins as Owen Road near Skerton High School and there is the B5231 to the right for Morecambe, and a road to the right for Halton
Halton, Lancashire
Halton-with-Aughton is a civil parish located east of Lancaster, England on the north bank of the River Lune. The main settlement is the village of Halton-on-Lune, commonly just called Halton, in the west, and the parish stretches to the hamlet of Aughton in the east...
. It passes the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
Slyne Road Garage on the left and crosses the Lancaster Canal and heads through Hest Bank
Hest Bank
Slyne-with-Hest is a civil parish in the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. It had a population of 3,163 recorded in the 2001 census. The parish is north of Lancaster and consists of two villages; Slyne, on the A6 road, and Hest Bank on the coast....
as Lancaster Road, passing the Slyne Lodge, and Bolton Town. It crosses the Lancaster Canal and meets the A5105 (from Morecambe) to the left at Bolton-le-Sands
Bolton-le-Sands
Bolton-le-Sands is a large village and civil parish of the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. The parish had a population of 4,098 recorded in the 2001 census,...
. As Main Road, it passes the Royal Hotel. Here the road is at its closest point to Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of 310 km².-Natural features:The rivers Leven,...
. It follows the Lancaster Canal and enters Carnforth as Lancaster Road, passes the Christ Church parish church on the right and County Hotel and the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Carnforth Service Station on the left, and meets the B6254 to the right which leads to M6 junction 35.
Carnforth - Carlisle
Leaving CarnforthCarnforth
- References :...
, famous for its connections with the film Brief Encounter
Brief Encounter
Brief Encounter is a 1945 British film directed by David Lean about the conventions of British suburban life, centring on a housewife for whom real love brings unexpectedly violent emotions. The film stars Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway and Joyce Carey...
, the road as Scotland Road crosses the River Keer
River Keer
The River Keer is a river in Lancashire, England.For parts of its course, the Keer marks the boundary between Lancashire and Cumbria, as well as the ancient counties of Lancashire and Westmorland....
. It passes the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Truckhaven truck stop
Truck stop
A truck stop is a commercial facility predicated on providing fuel, parking, and often food and other services to motorists and truck drivers...
on the left just before it meets the A601(M)
A601(M) motorway
The A601 is a motorway in Lancashire, England. It is 1.1 miles long, and meets the M6 at Junction 35. It is a unique motorway within the United Kingdom as it has a dual carriageway section leading north from Junction 35 of the M6, with a single carriageway section leading south, where it...
at junction 35a of the M6 near Warton
Warton, Lancaster
Warton is a village and civil parish in north Lancashire in the north-west of England, close to the boundary with Cumbria, with a population of around 2,000. It is a village steeped in history; its earliest recording as a settlement is made in Domesday Book written in 1086. The nearest town to...
. There is a roundabout with the A6070, and the road, which has a short section of dual-carriageway, crosses the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
near Yealand Conyers
Yealand Conyers
Yealand Conyers is a village and civil parish in the English county of Lancashire. It is in the City of Lancaster district.-Community:The community is included in the same district as Yealand Redmayne and is south of Beetham.-Geography:...
. It enters Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
and the district of South Lakeland
South Lakeland
South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Kendal. It includes much of the Lake District.The district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972...
near the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis Centre and Hale Moss. Nearby on the M6 is the Burton-in-Kendal services
Burton-in-Kendal services
Burton-in-Kendal services is a motorway service station on the M6 motorway near Kendal in southern Cumbria, England. It is accessible to northbound traffic only, with southbound traffic having to use Killington Lake services about ten miles north...
. The Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Mossdale Service Station is on the left. It passes through Hale and the King's Arms Hotel. At Beetham
Beetham
Beetham is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, situated on the border with Lancashire. It is part of the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-Demography:The parish had a population of 1,724 recorded in the 2001 census,...
, it crosses the River Bela
River Bela
The River Bela is a short river in the county of Cumbria, England. It is in the ancient county of Westmorland.The river is formed by the confluence of Peasey Beck and Stainton Beck at Overthwaite...
then passes through Milnthorpe
Milnthorpe
Milnthorpe is a large village within the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. Straddling the A6 road, the town contains several old hostelries and hosts a market in The Square every Friday...
as Beetham Road and Church Street, meeting the B5282 and B6385. It goes through Heversham
Heversham
Heversham is a small village and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It has a variety of recreational facilities, including tennis courts, bowling green, swimming pool and a playground...
passing by the Blue Bell Hotel on the left. It passes Levens Hall
Levens Hall
Levens Hall is a manor house in the county of Cumbria in northern England. The first house on the site was a pele tower built by the Redman family in around 1350. Much of the present building dates from the Elizabethan era, when the Bellingham family extended the house...
on the left, crossing the River Kent
River Kent
The River Kent is a short river in the county of Cumbria in England. The river originates in hills surrounding Kentmere, and flows for around 20 miles into the north of Morecambe Bay. The Lake District National Park includes the upper reaches of the river within its boundaries.The river passes...
at the old Levens Bridge, then meets the A590 and overlaps the A591
A591 road
The A591 is a major road in Cumbria, in the north-west of England. The stretch of the road between Windermere and Keswick has been voted Britain's Favourite Road.-Route:...
becoming a trunk road, the dual-carriageway Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
bypass. It passes Sizergh Castle
Sizergh Castle & Garden
Sizergh Castle & Garden is a castle, stately home and garden at Helsington in the English county of Cumbria, about south of Kendal, and in the care of the National Trust.- Details :...
and the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Prizet Filling Station, before leaving at a GSJ becoming the single carriageway Milnthorpe Road. It passes the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Helsington Service Station and passes through Kendal
Kendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
splitting in two, where it meets the northern end of the A65
A65 road
The A65 is a major road in England. It runs north west from Leeds in Yorkshire via Kirkstall, Horsforth, Yeadon, Guiseley, Ilkley and Skipton, passes west of Settle, then continues through Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale before terminating at Kendal in Cumbria....
.
In Kendal, it passes Kendal College and the Queen Katherine School
Queen Katherine School
The Queen Katherine School is a Technology College in Kendal, Cumbria, England. It is a co-educational facility for 11-18 year olds and has 1445 students.-Ethos:The school's ethos is...
next to a Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
superstore. It crosses the River Kent on the Nether Bridge and Miller Bridge. It passes under the Windermere Branch Line
Windermere Branch Line
The Lakes Line is the railway line from Oxenholme to Kendal and Windermere, originally part of the Kendal and Windermere Railway.Passenger services are operated by TransPennine Express using modern Class 185 diesel multiple units....
near Kendal railway station
Kendal railway station
Kendal railway station is a railway station serving Kendal in Cumbria. The station is situated on the Windermere Branch Line from Oxenholme to Windermere. It is operated by First TransPennine Express. It only has one platform which has a stone-built shelter. It is unstaffed. It is served by one...
then meets the A685
A685 road
The A685 is a road in Cumbria, England, that runs 28 miles from Kendal to Brough.-Route:The A685 begins in Kendal town centre off the A6. It heads in a north-easterly direction to the village of Tebay and junction 38 of the M6 motorway. From the M6 the A685 has primary status as it heads in an...
(to Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen is a civil parish and small market town in Cumbria, in North West England which historically, is part of Westmorland. The town is located on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, and about from the two nearest larger towns, Kendal and Penrith...
), passes over the River Mint
River Mint
The River Mint is a river in Cumbria, England. The Mint starts life at Whelpside at the confluence of Bannisdale Beck, running south-east from Bannisdale Head, and a smaller stream draining a group of small valleys from headwaters in The Forest, Combs Hollow and Mabbin Crag.The river runs south to...
as Shap Road and is crossed by the Dales Way
Dales Way
The Dales Way is an 84-mile Long Distance Footpath in Northern England, from Ilkley, West Yorkshire to Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria....
. It passes the formerPlough Inn near Selside
Selside
Selside is a small village in rural Cumbria, situated about north of Kendal, close to the A6 road. It is now in the civil parish of Whitwell and Selside,though it was formerly in the parish of Kendal....
, where it becomes the boundary of the Lake District National Park. It crosses Borrowdale Beck (a tributary of the River Lune) and at Huck's Bridge at Borrowdale
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England.Borrowdale lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale in order to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the...
, it enters the district of Eden
Eden, Cumbria
Eden is a local government district in Cumbria, England. Its council is based in Penrith. It is named after the River Eden which flows north through the district toward Carlisle....
.
It climbs up to over 1,400 ft and heads over the Shap Fells into Wasdale
Wasdale
Wasdale is a valley and civil parish in the western part of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Irt flows through the valley to its estuary at Ravenglass. A large part of the main valley floor is occupied by Wastwater, the deepest lake in England...
, passing near the Shap Wells Hotel, where it leaves the National Park, and passes the RMC granite works. A spur of the A6 meets the B6261 and joins the M6 at junction 39. The road is no longer a trunk road and passes the Corus Lime Kilns on Hardendale Fell and enters Shap
Shap
Shap is a linear village and civil parish located amongst fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England. The village lies along the A6 road and the West Coast Main Line, and is near to the M6 motorway...
where it is crossed by the Coast to Coast Walk
Coast to Coast Walk
The Coast to Coast Walk is a 192-mile unofficial and mostly unsignposted long distance footpath in Northern England...
, and over the West Coast Line. It passes under then over the M6, then passes close to Hackthorpe Hall and the Lowther Castle Inn. It passes over the M6 near Lowther
Lowther (parish)
Lowther is a civil parish in Eden District, Cumbria. Within the parish are the settlements of Lowther Village, Newtown or Lowther Newtown, Hackthorpe, Whale and Melkinthorpe....
, which is near the Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre. It passes over the railway at Clifton
Clifton, Cumbria
Clifton is a small linear village and civil parish south east of Penrith in Cumbria, England.-History and geography:The civil parish of Clifton has its western boundary defined by the River Lowther, to the north and east lie the civil parishes of Brougham and Great Strickland, to the south is the...
near Penrith
Penrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
. There is a right turn for Brougham
Brougham, Cumbria
Brougham is a small village and civil parish on the outskirts of Penrith in the Eden District of Cumbria, England...
and it crosses the River Lowther
River Lowther
The River Lowther flows through Cumbria in England. It is a tributary of the River Eamont which in turn is a tributary of the River Eden which flows into the Solway Firth near Carlisle....
at Eamont Bridge
Eamont Bridge
Eamont Bridge is a small village immediately to the south of Penrith, Cumbria.The village is named after the River Eamont and straddles the boundary between the ancient counties of Cumberland and Westmorland...
where passes the Beehive Inn and the Crown Hotel, then meets the B6262 and crosses the River Eamont
River Eamont
The River Eamont is a river in Cumbria, England and one of the major tributaries of the River Eden.The river is formed by the outflow from Ullswater in the Lake District, later augmented by Dacre Beck from the west and the River Lowther which carries the water from Haweswater north to the Eamont at...
over a narrow bridge. It meets the A66
A66 road
The A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. It runs from east of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire to Workington in Cumbria...
at Kemplay roundabout next to Penrith Hospital.
It takes a central route through Penrith
Penrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
, entering the town as Bridge Lane then Victoria Road and leaving as Stricklandgate then Scotland Road it passes the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Townhead Garage, then the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Davidsons Garage. North of Penrith, it meets the B5305 (which heads to Wigton
Wigton
Wigton is a small market town and civil parish outside the Lake District, in the administrative county of Cumbria in England, and traditionally in Cumberland. It is the bustling and thriving centre of the Solway Plain, situated between the Caldbeck Fells and the Solway coast...
) at the Stoneybeck roundabout next to the Stoneybeck Inn situated on a new section of the A6 built for junction 41 of the M6. The next section of the A6 is one of the most dangerous roads in the county and follows a former Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
, having seen several deaths in the past few years http://www.cumberland-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=365938 http://www.cumberland-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=382145.
This section essentially follows a parallel path to the M6, and passes through Plumpton
Plumpton, Cumbria
Plumpton is a small village about north of Penrith, Cumbria.The village is made up of the former separate hamlets of Salkeld Gate and Brockleymoor and consists mainly of houses along a minor road connecting the A6 to the B5305 near Skelton and also a few houses and farms along the A6 itself.Close...
where it meets the B6413; an old Roman fort called Voreda at Castlesteads; High Hesket
Hesket, Cumbria
Hesket is a large civil parish in Eden District, Cumbria, England. It was formed in 1934 by a County Review Order which merged the civil parishes of Hesket in the Forest and Plumpton Wall.-Villages in the parish:...
which it bypasses; Low Hesket where it passes the Rose & Crown; enters the district of Carlisle
City of Carlisle
The City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
near Cotehill; and meets the M6 (and the B6263) eventually at junction 42: the start of the Carlisle bypass. Entering Carlisle, it passes the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
Carleton Service Station, a C-op at Harraby, the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
Harraby Green Service Station then crosses the River Petteril
River Petteril
The River Petteril is a river running through the English county of Cumbria.The source of the Petteril is near Penruddock and Motherby, from where the young river runs northeast through Greystoke, Blencow and Newton Reigny, before passing under the M6 motorway, after which the river turns north,...
(near a large radio mast) then the Tyne Valley railway line. The A6 travels through south-eastern Carlisle as London Road, before finishing at Botchergate in the centre of Carlisle where it transforms seamlessly into the A7 which runs out of Carlisle and across the Anglo-Scottish border terminating eventually at Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's capital city of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
Former route south of Luton
The route of the old A6 south of Luton is now the A1081A1081 road
The A1081 road in Hertfordshire, England broadly follows and replaces the former route of the A6 south of Luton in Bedfordshire.It runs from Luton Airport south via Harpenden to St Albans and then bears southeast via London Colney to High Barnet, where it meets the A1000 .The route was renumbered...
for most of its length. In the initial road numbering scheme, the A6 started in Barnet
Barnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...
where it joined what was then the A1 Great North Road
Great North Road (Great Britain)
The Great North Road was a coaching route used by mail coaches between London, York and Edinburgh. The modern A1 mainly follows the Great North Road. The inns on the road, many of which survive, were staging posts on the coach routes, providing accommodation, stabling for the horses and...
. From Barnet the road went to London Colney
London Colney
London Colney is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It is located to the north of London, at Junction 22 of the M25 motorway....
, St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, Harpenden
Harpenden
Harpenden is a town in Hertfordshire, England.The town's total population is just under 30,000.-Geography and administration:There are two civil parishes: Harpenden and Harpenden Rural....
to join the current start of the road at Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
. At St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, the road met the then A5 at a crossroads: going north on both roads, the A5 arriving from the southwest, and leaving the crossroads northwest, and the A6 arriving from the southeast and leaving to the northeast. Nowadays that stretch of the A5 has also been renumbered so that the crossroads in St Albans is now A5183
A5183 road
The A5183 road is a de-trunked section of the A5. It covers the section between Junction 9 of the M1 motorway and Edgware in north London, largely along Watling Street...
and A1081.
Other former routes
Nelstrop Road North, which runs adjacent to Houldsworth Golf Club, approximately half a mile (800 m) east of LevenshulmeLevenshulme
Levenshulme is an urban area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. It borders Longsight, Gorton, Burnage, Heaton Chapel and Reddish, and is approximately halfway between Stockport and Manchester City Centre on the A6 road. The A6 bisects Levenshulme. The Manchester to London railway...
was originally a stretch of the A6 before it was moved westwards to its current route. Being on the border of two districts, the road has fallen into a state of disrepair as neither the City of Manchester nor the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centred around the town of Stockport. It has a population of about 280,600 and includes the outyling areas of Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme, Marple, Bredbury, Reddish and Romiley...
claims responsibility for it.
See also
- A6 murder - the August 1961 murder of Michael Gregsten at a lay-by on the A6 in BedfordshireBedfordshireBedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, and the controversial trial and execution of James HanrattyJames HanrattyJames Hanratty , a petty criminal with no history of violence, was the eighth-to-last person in the United Kingdom to be hanged after being convicted of the murder of Michael Gregsten at Deadman's Hill on the A6, near the village of Clophill, Bedfordshire, England, on 23 August 1961...
for the crime.