A47 road

UK road routebox
road= A47
length-mi=
length-km=
direction=
start= Aston University, Birmingham
destinations= Nuneaton
Hinckley
Leicester
Peterborough
Wisbech
King's Lynn
Swaffham
Norwich
end= Great Yarmouth
construction-date=
completion-date=
junctions=

The A47 is a trunk road in England linking Birmingham to Great Yarmouth (although most of the section between Birmingham and Nuneaton has been reclassified as the B4114).

Route

From west to east, the road goes through:
* Birmingham
* Nuneaton
* Hinckley
* Earl Shilton
* Leicester
**subsumed into inner ringroad
* Uppingham
* Peterborough
* Wisbech
* King's Lynn
* Swaffham
* Dereham
* Norwich
**forms new southern by-pass (previously formed outer ringroad)
* Blofield
* Acle
* Great Yarmouth

Detail

Birmingham - Castle Vale

Starting from the junction with the A441 ("James Watt [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/335414 Queensway] ") near Aston University as the dual-carriageway "Jennens Road", it meets the A4540 "Middleway" (middle ring road) one mile from the centre of Birmingham becoming "Nechells [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/786688 Parkway] ". It leads in a north-easterly direction meeting the B4132 at a roundabout becoming "Saltley Road", is crossed by the Chase Line and meets the B4114 (former route) at a roundabout. A new section of road begins as the "Heartlands Parkway", following the Cross Country Route and River Rea. It meets a roundabout and there is a roundabout with the B4137 at Nechells (for Star City). It runs more or less parallel to the M6 for about three miles, crossing the railway at the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/682191 Washwood Heath Viaduct] . It meets the A4040 at a large roundbout which passes under the M6. It meets two roundabouts close to Fort Dunlop and terminating at the "Sentinel" [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/47346 sculpture] of three spitfire aeroplanes near Castle Vale and junction 5 of the M6 with the A452. Here the road becomes the B4114, after a short diversion under the M6 at Castle Bromwich, leaving the Birmingham conurbation to pass through Coleshill.

Nuneaton - A1

At Nuneaton the road re-emerges as "Hinckley Road" from a junction with the A444, near a BP garage at the "Anker Service Station" on "Weddington Road" and the train station. Leaving Nuneaton, it passes North Warwickshire and Hinckley College on the left and a Total garage. It meets the A4254 at a roundabout becoming " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/195591 The Long Shoot] " and the A5 Watling Street near the " [http://www.thelongshoothotel.co.uk Longshoot Hotel] ". It follows the A5 for a half-mile [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/670103 entering] Leicestershire and the district of Hinckley and Bosworth, then leaves at a roundabout to bypass Hinckley as " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/670066 Dodwells Road] " then " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/670003 Normandy Way] ". The former route continues as the B4666. This section passes through a large industrial estate and close to a Tesco, crossing the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal. It meets a roundabout near the Triumph [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/244674 motorbike factory] . It passes a large Morrisons store (former Safeway) next to a roundabout near [http://www.redmoor.leics.sch.uk Redmoor High School] and the "Milestone" pub. It meets the A447 and B4667 at crossroads, then meets the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/193676 B4668] former route at a roundabout, becoming "Leicester Road" then "Carrs Hill". This section to Leicester runs parallel with the M69. It passes close to Barwell, then [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2549 enters] Earl Shilton [http://www.leics.gov.uk/a47_earl_shilton_bypass.htm] as "Hinckley Road", passing the [http://www.heathfield.leics.sch.uk Heathfield High School] , [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/159324 meeting] the B581 near the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/353574 Lord Nelson] ", and passes a large Co-op. There is a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/703161 left turn] for Kirkby Mallory on the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/703155] from Earl Shilton. The road forms the boundary between the Hinckley and Bosworth district and Blaby district as "Hinckley Road" at [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/699791 Long Spinneys] , where the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/699787 road] has cycle lanes on either side. The Earl Shilton [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/703148 bypass] is being [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/678063 built] and joins the road [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/699801 here] . At a right turn for Thurlaston, the road [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/699794 enters] the district of Blaby, and there is a left turn for Desford and the large Caterpillar [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/158786 factory] . It [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/699766 passes] through Leicester Forest West and the " [http://www.everards.co.uk/pubs/bulls_head_28/ Bulls Head] " on the right and near to the B582 [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/491639 crossroads] , there is the BP "Desford" garage. It [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/183374 climbs] up a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/703293 hill] and [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/183374 enters] Leicester Forest East, [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/420346 crossing] the M1 near the service station. It passes the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/420340 Red Cow] [http://www.innkeeperslodge.com/lodgedetail.asp?lid=71 Hotel] " on the left and enters the City of Leicester at the B5380 junction near the JET "Forest Motor" garage. There is a busy roundabout with the A563 Leicester outer ring-road. Braunstone Park and the new Braunstone [http://www.leicester.gov.uk/Sports/website/leisure/leisurePage.asp?leisureid=10 Leisure Centre] is passed on the right. It crosses a railway and passes Western Park on the left and the BP "St James Service Station". [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/489686 Entering] the city centre, it becomes " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/489671 King Richard's Road] " then " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/489667 Saint Augustine Road] " and crosses the River Soar and the Grand Union Canal. Leaving Leicester, it becomes "Humberstone Road", then " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/470823 Uppingham Road] ". It passes under the Midland Main Line, then passes the Total "St Matthews Service Station". It meets the A6030, becoming [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/470838 part] of the Leicester outer ring road. At Humberstone, just before the A563 junction near St Joseph's [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/470842 church] it [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/470839 passes] the Shell "Trocadero Service Station". This was once the site of Leicester's Trocadero Theatre which was burned down in a huge fire many years ago. The Rolling Stones played here in 1965. At Thurnby, it passes the Texaco "Harris Motors" garage and [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/455147 enters] Leicestershire and the district of Harborough, passing [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/455152 Bushby] and climbs [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/186397 Winkerdale Hill] .

The road [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/186756 passes] through Houghton on the Hill and the JET [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/186769 garage] and " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/456072 Rose & Crown] ". It heads down [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/186777 Palace Hill] with a right [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/522721 turn] for Gaulby then crosses the River Sence. The two-mile £2.5m three-lane Billesdon [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/751760 Bypass] opened in October 1986. The transmitter for Leicester Sound is situated here. It meets the B6047 (for Tilton on the Hill) at crossroads then passes [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/753051 through] Skeffington then head [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/885706 towards] and [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/885963 through] Tugby, which is traversed by the Midshires Way. It winds its way [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/601110 towards] the one-kilometre £1.2m East Norton [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/601112 Bypass] , which opened in December 1990. It heads down a hill as [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/603413 three lanes] and crosses the Eye Brook and from [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/603433 here] the next ten miles are in Rutland. There is a left [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/603460 turn] for Belton-in-Rutland and a right turn for Allexton. The two-mile £1.9m Wardley Hill [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/539103 Improvement] opened in October 1987; the road [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/317919 heads] to Uppingham. The one-and-a-half-mile £1.4m Uppingham Bypass opened in June 1982. This is the home of Uppingham School. It meets the A6003 (for Oakham) at a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/45196 roundabout] and [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/438463 passes] through Glaston, [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/207188 passing] over the tunnel of the Oakham to Kettering Line. [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/207192 Near] to Morcott, there is the popular Morcott Little Chef, with a Travelodge and the Texaco "Morcott Service Station" where the road meets the A6121 and B672, and a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/42737 windmill] . The road [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/192237 crosses] the River Welland. The Duddington Bypass, where the road enters Northamptonshire and the district of East Northamptonshire, opened in 1975. This section has a busy roundabout where it meets the south-west/north-east corridor A43. From here to the A1, the [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/84142 road] goes close to the runway of RAF Wittering, where the road [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/549893 enters] the borough of Peterborough.

A1 - Kings Lynn

It is crossed by the Roman road Ermine Street.The dual-carriageway £9m Ailsworth-Castor [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/208615 Bypass] opened in September 1991. Around Peterborough, the Peterborough Longthorpe Grade separated junction (GSJ) opened in December 1987 where it meets the A1260. There is a GSJ for Bretton and a Sainsbury's, and it passes the [http://www.bwcs.org.uk Bretton Woods Community School] . The £1.2m Peterborough Westwood GSJ opened in January 1987. This section of road is called the "Soke Parkway" (named after the Soke of Peterborough). When this was first built, in the mid-1970s, the A47 followed what is now the A1139 "Paston Parkway". It crosses the East Coast Main Line and meets the A15 at New England near to a Morrisons (former Safeway), and Boulevard and Brotherhood retail parks. There is another GSJ at Paston and it [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/322311 meets] the other strand of the A15 at a GSJ near Gunthorpe. It meets the A1139 at a roundabout and crosses the Car Dyke. The three-mile £7.2m Eye Bypass opened as "Eye Road" in October 1991, diverting traffic from the "Paston Parkway", and partly built on the former Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Peterborough to Wisbech railway. There is a roundabout with the A1073 (for Crowland) at Eye Green near the Esso "Eye Green Service Station", a Travelodge and the Peterborough Eye Little Chef on the right, where it becomes "Thorney Road", the "The Causeway". The landscape becomes very [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/649487 flat] known as The Fens. A three-mile dual-carriageway bypass of Thorney [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/4525844.stm opened] on December 14 2005. The road meets the B1040 and [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/649578 B1167] at roundabouts. [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/434388 Near] Thorney Toll, the road [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/623757 enters] Cambridgeshire and the district of Fenland near the "New Toll Service Station". The [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/296931 straight] road [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/296931 finishes] at Guyhirn, meeting the B1187 and crossing and [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/658136 following] the River Nene and the [http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/nene.html Nene Way] . The half-mile £3.7m Guyhirn Diversion opened in October 1990. The road heads north-east, following the east bank of the River Nene. The five-mile £6m Wisbech/West Walton Bypass opened in autumn 1984. The former route leaves as the B198 at a roundabout. It meets a level crossing, and it enters Norfolk and the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk just before a roundabout with the A1101 for Elm and Emneth at the Shell "Wisbech Filling Station". It passes the Total "Wisbech Services" and the Wisbech Little Chef then meets the old route (B198) at a roundabout and becomes the six-mile £23m dual-carriageway Walpole Highway/Tilney High End Bypass which opened in summer 1996. There is an [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/283621 exit] for Walpole Highway, and [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/283724 another] for Terrington St John. It [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/279119 passes] near Tilney High End. Near Tilney All Saints, it meets the old route at a roundabout, becoming the single cariageway "Main Road", then "Pullover Road". It meets the end of the A17 at a large [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/646033 roundabout] and the West Lynn [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/646001 Little Chef] .

Kings Lynn - Great Yarmouth

From Kings Lynn, the road goes [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/430307 over] the River Great Ouse and Fen Rivers Way, near to some sugar beet factories on a very busy concrete dual-carriageway built in 1975. It meets the A148 at a GSJ. The A10 and the A149 have their terminus here, at the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/466912 Hardwick Flyover] " ( [http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/2845.aspx opened] on October 30 2003) near the large Hardwick Industrial Estate (home of [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/466907 Campbell's Soup] ) and a [http://www.ramada.com/hotel/15928 Ramada] Hotel. It becomes " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/674041 Constitution Hill] ", passing North Runcton then Middleton, where it passes the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/187036 Crown] " and St Mary's [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/255406 church] as "Lynn Road". Next is East Winch, where it passes All Saints's [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/261348 church] , then West Bilney where it passes St Cecilia's [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/417404 church] . Th former Kings Lynn-Swaffham railway [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/564843 crossed] at this point. There is a right-turn for Pentney and it meets the B1153 for East Walton. The half-mile £2.8m Narborough [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/594291 Bypass] , opened in November 1992, where the road crosses the River Nar and enters the district of Breckland. There is a straight [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/594297 section] to where it meets the A1122 (for RAF Marham) at a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/589503 roundabout] at the start of the five-mile £5m part-dual-carriageway Swaffham Bypass, which opened in June 1981. There is an exit for Swaffham, and a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/405654 GSJ] with the A1065 (for Fakenham). It passes some [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/123965 wind turbines] and there is a roundabout where it joins the former route just before it is crossed by the Peddars Way. There is a left turn for Sporle and it passes Necton then heads north-west through Little Fransham, [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/478180 passing] the " [http://www.pub-explorer.com/olpg/canaryandlinnet/index.htm Canary and Linnet] ", with a left [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/522906 turn] for Crane's Corner. The seven-mile £5m part-dual-carriageway East Dereham Bypass opened in spring 1978, which was [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/522915 built] on part of the disused railway line, crosses over a level crossing on the Mid-Norfolk Railway. It passes near Wendling and St Peter and St Paul [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/383680 church] then meets the B1146 (for Dereham) and A1075 (for Shipdham) near a Tesco supermarket and B1135. The B1147 leaves for Swanton Morley. The three-mile £9m East Dereham-North Tuddenham Improvement opened in August 1992, which [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/275240 passes] North Tuddenham. It bypasses Hockering. It enters the district of Broadland at the start of the bypass of Honingham, where it crosses the River Tud. Just before the roundabout at Easton, it enters the district of South Norfolk. The dual-carriageway £62m Norwich [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/667191 Bypass] opened in September 1992. At the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/412595 Longwater] " Intersection, the A1074 follows the former route through Norwich near the Longwater Retail Park and Sainsbury's. Near Bawburgh, it crosses the River Yare. There is a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/782343 GSJ] with the B1108, for Little Melton and Colney. At Cringleford, it meets the A11 at the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/29172 Thickthorn] " Interchange and Total "Thickthorn Services" with the Norwich Little Chef and crosses the Breckland Line. [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/172278 Near] [http://www.keswickhall.ik.org Keswick Hall] , it [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/339917 meets] the A140 at a GSJ near a [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/178187 Tesco] , then crosses the Great Eastern Main Line. It is crossed by [http://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/leisure/1687.asp Boudica's Way] , then meets the A146 at a GSJ. It crosses the River Yare again at the " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/164530 Postwick Viaduct] " and enters the district of Broadland. It crosses the Wherry Line and meets the A1042 at a GSJ. The section from the end of this bypass to Blofield, the one-mile £1.2m Postwick-Blofield Dualling, was opened in November 1987. There is a left turn to Great Plumstead. The one-mile £4m dual-carriageway Blofield [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/435402 Bypass] opened in February 1983, which starts at a roundabout for Brundall near the Total "Broadlands Services" and the Broadlands Little Chef. It becomes single carriageway and passes North Burlingham near the staggered " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/38431 White House] " crossroads with the B1140. The three-mile £7.1m dual-carriageway Acle Bypass opened in March 1989, which ends at a roundabout with the A1048 near a Travelodge and the Acle Little Chef, becoming the single carriageway "New Road". From Acle, the road enters the infamous " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/262114 Acle Straight] " which is nearly seven miles of dead straight and near level single carriageway all the way to Great Yarmouth, with just one curve at Road House Diner. The road is notorious for congestion, especially during the holiday season, and also for the number of accidents, which due to the drainage ditches on either side of the road are often fatal, and demands for dualling have been heard for many years, although there are no current plans to go ahead with this. It [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/262089 enters] the district of Great Yarmouth, then passes close to Breydon Water. The northern section of the two-mile £19m Great Yarmouth Western Bypass (A12) opened in March 1986, and the southern section opened in May 1985.

History of the road number

The original (1923) route of the A47 was Birmingham to Great Yarmouth, but there were some changes made to its route in the early years. At its eastern end, the A47 originally ran through Filby and Caister, with the Acle Straight bearing the number B1140. The A47 was rerouted along the Acle straight in 1935, with the old route being renumbered as the A1064 (Acle to Caister) and part of the A149 (Caister to Great Yarmouth).

The second change also dates from 1935. The A47 originally ran via Downham Market, not King's Lynn. In 1935, it was rerouted via King's Lynn, replacing part of the A141 (Wisbech to King's Lynn) and part of the A17 (King's Lynn to Swaffham). The old route via Downham Market was renumbered as the A1122 (Outwell to Swaffham) and part of the A1101 (Wisbech to Outwell).

The third change took place some time before 1932. The original route of the A47 between Guyhirne and Wisbech was via Wisbech St Mary, with the direct route being part of the A141. This is because there was no road bridge over the River Nene at Guyhirne, and hence no junction between the A47 and the A141. Some time between 1923 and 1932 a bridge was built, and the A47 and the A141 swapped routes between Guyhirne and Wisbech.

External links

* [http://www.uk-roads.co.uk/roadlists/f99/47.shtml SABRE First 99 - A47]