Anomalously numbered roads in Great Britain

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In the Great Britain road numbering scheme, the country is divided into numbered zones, the boundaries of which are usually defined by single-digit roads. The first digit of a road's number should be the number of the zone it occupies. If the road occupies multiple zones, then the furthest-anticlockwise zone is the correct one. The following tables list all British roads which are anomalously numbered. Roads in bold lie completely outside their "correct" zone; all other roads run for some length in their "correct" zones but trespass into zones anticlockwise of this zone. A further table lists duplicated road numbers.

Motorways[edit]

The motorway zone boundaries[1] are different from the A-road boundaries.

Motorway number zones of England and Wales
Road number Location Trespassed zone Reason
M48 Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire Zone 5 This road used to be the M4, and as it lies to the north of the current M4 and to the west of the M5, it is in the Motorway Zone 5.[2][3]
M49 Bristol, Gloucestershire Zone 3 This motorway lies entirely within zone 3.[4] The motorway was constructed at the same time as the Second Severn Crossing, and it is likely that the sequential M48 and M49 were used for the old M4 and the new motorway respectively.
M62 Merseyside, Greater Manchester Zone 5 The section from Liverpool to Manchester was planned as M52, but was added to the M62 to make a cross-country route.
M65 Lancashire Zone 5 The short link to the A582 is out of zone

While the M25 may appear to contradict these rules as it runs through all the London-bound zones, it in fact does not: it does not quite form a complete circle. It starts in Zone 2, south of the Thames, and proceeds clockwise through zones 3, 4 and 1. The A282, which completes the circle mostly formed by the M25, is anomalously numbered; as it proceeds into the A-road 1-zone (and should therefore begin with a 1).

The M271 is numbered as a spur of the M27, as opposed to the traditional numbering rules; however the M3 to Southampton came after the M271 was built and is not the zone boundary, which appears to be a straight line from M3 J8 to Exeter in some documentation.

A roads[edit]

The numbering zones for all-purpose roads in Great Britain
Road number Location Trespassed zone(s) Reason
A14 Northamptonshire Zone 5 & 6 The A14 was chosen as a unique, important number for this crucial cross-country route.
A31 Surrey Zone 2 Formerly north-east of the A3 before the Guildford Bypass.
A42 Leicestershire Zone 5 The A42 is numbered as an extension of the M42.
A51 Warwickshire Zone 4 Extended over an orphaned section of the A423 when part of that road NW of Coventry was downgraded to B class.
A55 Anglesey Zone 4 The A55 supersedes the A5 through Anglesey.
A66 Cumbria Zone 5 The A66 was extended westwards beyond the A6 to make it a coast-to-coast route.
A88 Falkirk Zone 9 Planned to extend westwards to form the A80 to Kincardine Bridge road - this instead became the M876.
A89 Glasgow Zone 7 The A89 through Glasgow used to be partly the A8.
A91 Stirling Zone 8 Rerouted to bypass Stirling. Meets the A9 at Greencornhills Roundabout yet continues into Zone 8 as far as the Bannockburn Interchange.
A167 Durham Zone 6 The A167 through Durham used to be part of the A1.
A168 North Yorkshire Zone 6 The A168 originally only went from Northallerton to Dishforth, and was extended by the former A1 when it was upgraded in 1994, changing the most westerly point to a different zone.
A177 Durham Zone 6 In County Durham the original A1 route (now A167), not the A1(M) motorway, forms the zone boundary.
A181 Durham Zone 6 In County Durham the original A1 route (now A167), not the A1(M) motorway, forms the zone boundary.
A199 East Lothian Zone 6 The A199 used to be part of the A1.
A282 Thurrock Zone 1 New road which is important and assigned an A2xx number as most A1xx numbers were already used (as zone 1 is far larger than zone 2). Could be A108 or A122, both unused numbers at present.
A307 Surrey Zone 2 The A307 used to be part of the A3.
A320 Surrey Zone 2 Formerly north-east of the A3 before the Guildford Bypass.
A322 Surrey Zone 2 Formerly north-east of the A3 before the Guildford Bypass.
A397 Portsmouth Zone 2 The A397 used to be part of the A3.
A404 Windsor and Maidenhead Zone 3 The A404 originally began on the A4 1.7 miles west of where it now passes under where the A404(M) passes under the A4 and loses its motorway status. The change in route took place in September 1992 when the A404 was rerouted and took over the what was previously the A423(M) which itself had originally been part of the M4.
A412 Slough Zone 3 The A412 begins in Zone 3, at the A332.
A427 Northamptonshire Zone 6 The A427 previously ran from Coventry to Oundle, and was truncated west of Market Harborough, when the new A14 opened. This section was renumbered as the B4027, A4303 and A4304. An even older alignment (pre-c.1960s) heading south from North Kilworth as far as the A45 is now an unclassified road (formerly B5414) and A4071.
A447 Leicestershire Zone 5 Route south of the A47 decommissioned, leaving the remainder out-of-zone.
A505 Bedfordshire Zone 4 The A505 was extended to become a cross-country route.
A601 Derby Zone 5 Chosen as a unique number for the Derby inner ring road.
A620 Nottinghamshire Zone 1 The A620 was truncated and left east of the A1.
A624 Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire Zone 5 The A624 was part of the A6 for a short stretch in Chapel-en-le-Frith before the Chapel By-pass was built.
A683 Lancashire Zone 5 The A683 was extended westwards to Heysham docks.
A689 Cumbria Zone 5 The A689 was extended south-westwards around Carlisle from M6 J44 to the A595 in the 5 zone. (It passes through the 7 zone as well between the A7 and River Eden, but the actual boundary between the 5 and 7 zones is undefined, and a road crossing the A7 would be correctly numbered starting 6, as zone 6 is anticlockwise of zone 7 as viewed from the numbering hub of Edinburgh.)
A720 Edinburgh Zone 6 The A720 bypasses the numbering hub of Edinburgh, making numbering difficult; A720 was chosen for apparent importance. Most important 6-zone numbers were all used. Also notably distant from all other A72x roads.
A882 Highland Zone 9 The A9 was rerouted to terminate at Scrabster rather than John O'Groats, leaving the A882 in zone 9.
A899 West Lothian Zone 7 The A899 was extended south through Livingston new town, Scotland.
A904 Falkirk Zone 8 The A9 was rerouted to bypass Falkirk town centre.
A949 Highland Zone 8 The A949 used to be part of the A9.
A1000 Hertfordshire Zone 6 The A1000 used to be part of the A1.
A1057 Hertfordshire Zone 6 The A1057 used to be part of the A1.
A1068 Northumberland Zone 6 The A1 was rerouted around Alnwick, leaving the end of A1068 out-of-zone.
A1081 Hertfordshire Zone 6 The A1081 used to be part of the A6.
A1246 North Yorkshire Zone 6 The A1246 used to be part of the A1.
A3023 Hampshire Zone 2 The A3023 was originally the B2149.
A3100 Surrey Zone 2 The A3100 used to be part of the A3.
A3400 Warwickshire Zone 4 The road was numbered to reflect its history as the old A34.
A4174 Bristol Zone 3 The A4174 is part of the Bristol outer ring road. It was entirely in zone 4 but has been extended to the A4 and then south of it.
A4208 London Zone 3 Truncation of the A4 left the A4208 out-of-zone.
A4300 Northamptonshire Zone 5 The A4300 used to be part of the A43.
A4303 Leicestershire Zone 5 The A4303 used to be part of the A427.
A4304 Leicestershire Zone 5 The A4304 used to be part of the A427.
A4500 Northamptonshire Zone 5 The A4500 used to be part of the A45.
A4501 Northamptonshire Zone 5 The A4501 used to be part of the A45.
A5127 Staffordshire, West Midlands Zone 4 The A5127 was extended south when the A38 bypassed Sutton Coldfield. The entire A5127 was part of the original route of the A38.
A5140 Bedfordshire Zone 4 Much of the route became A421 when it was extended, leaving only the section in Bedford, which is out-of-zone as it is east of the A6.
A5153 Anglesey Zone 4 The A5153 lies south of the A5.
A5154 Anglesey Zone 4 The A5154 used to be part of the A5.
A5223 Telford Zone 4 Route begins south of the A5.
A6004 Leicestershire Zone 5 The A6004 used to be part of the A6.
A6010 Manchester Zone 5 The A6010 is part of the Manchester ring road.
A6143 Manchester Zone 5 The A6143 was originally part of the A57.
A6144 Trafford Zone 5 The A6144 used to be the B5166, B5311 and B5158.
A6182 Doncaster Zone 1 The A1 was rerouted leaving the A6182 out-of-zone.

B roads[edit]

Road number Location Trespassed zone Reason
B197 Hertfordshire Zone 6 The B197 used to be part of the A1
B316 London Zone 4 A4 rerouted
B325 London Zone 4 A4 rerouted
B384 West Midlands Zone 4 Used to be part of the A38, and numbered to match. (Initially numbered B38 by Birmingham City Council.)
B455 London Zone 3 A4 rerouted
B470 Windsor and Maidenhead Zone 3
B576 Northamptonshire Zone 6 A6 rerouted
B589 Loughborough Zone 6 Route now runs on the wrong side of the A6.
B645 Northamptonshire Zone 5 A6 rerouted
B704 Midlothian Zone 6 Extends through Gorebridge whilst A7 forms western bypass.
B708 West Lothian Zone 8 Was previously numbered as B8708[5] in keeping with the scheme.
B855 Highland Zone 9 The A9 was rerouted west of this road, to end at Scrabster.
B876 Highland Zone 9 The A9 was rerouted west of this road, to end at Scrabster.
B1043 Cambridgeshire Zone 6 The B1043 used to be part of the A1.
B1164 Nottinghamshire Zone 6 The B1164 used to be part of the A1.
B1198 Durham Zone 6 In County Durham the original A1 route (now A167), not the A1(M) motorway, forms the zone boundary.
B1217 Leeds Zone 6 extended along old A642 when M1 extended
B1224 North Yorkshire Zone 6 In County Durham the original A1 route (now A167), not the A1(M) motorway, forms the zone boundary.
B1284 Durham Zone 6 In County Durham the original A1 route (now A167), not the A1(M) motorway, forms the zone boundary.
B1350 Edinburgh Zone 9 Although the B1350 is a continuation of London Road the remaining mile of the A1 is to the south at this point.
B2215 Surrey Zone 2 The B2215 used to be part of the A3.
B3000 Surrey Zone 2 A3 rerouted
B3004 Hampshire Zone 2 A3 rerouted
B3006 Hampshire Zone 2 A3 rerouted
B3345 Reading Zone 4 A4 rerouted
B3800 West Midlands Zone 4 The B3800 used to be part of the A4040.
B4640 West Berkshire Zone 3 Formerly a portion of the pre-bypass A34; unknown why B4640 was chosen as it has no relation to the A34.
B4666 Hinckley, Leicestershire Zone 5 The B4666 used to be part of the A47.
B4667 Hinckley, Leicestershire Zone 5 The B4667 used to be part of the A447.
B4668 Hinckley, Leicestershire Zone 5 The B4668 used to be part of the A47.
B4669 Leicestershire Zone 5 Originally numbered B579 and later became A5070. A5070 was renumbered B4069 following completion of the M69, and gained its present number around 1990 as part of a renumbering plan in Hinckley.
B5010 East Midlands Zone 6 A5 rerouted
B5011 Brownhills Zone 4 Section north of the A5 declassified, leaving the southern section out-of-zone.
B5061 Shropshire Zone 4 A5 rerouted
B5070 Wrexham Zone 4 The B5070 used to be part of the A5.
B5072 Telford Zone 4 A correct zone B5072 existed in Nantwich until the 1930s. Became part of A530.
B5444 Swansea Zone 4 Originally part of the B4292 until it was upgraded in the 1960s as A4217. When the central section was rerouted, the bypassed section was returned to Class II status with the current number, despite it being a duplicate and out-of-zone.
B5477 Shropshire Zone 4 This was, until renumbered in 2004, the northern section of the B4370 (Little Stretton - Church Stretton - All Stretton); additionally the number was (and remains) in separate use in Wallasey.
B6000 Derby Zone 5 A6 rerouted
B6184 Stockport Zone 5 The B6184 used to be part of the B5465.
B6241 Preston, Lancashire Zone 5 The B6241 was extended west of the A6.
B6280 Darlington Zone 1 In County Durham the original A1 route (now A167), not the A1(M) motorway, forms the zone boundary.
B6291 Durham Zone 1 The original section within Zone 6 was renumbered to become an extension of the A688.
B6420 Nottinghamshire Zone 1 The A1 was re-routed, leaving its start-point out of zone.
B6469 Manchester Zone 5 Originally numbered A57 west of the A6 and A635 to the east; probably downgraded due to construction of the A57(M).
B6541 Middlesbrough Zone 1 The B6541 used to be part of the A66.
B7201 Dumfries and Galloway Zone 6 The B7201 was part of the A7 before bypass of Canonbie; was B720 beforehand.
B8046 West Lothian Zone 7 The B8046 was extended beyond both the old A8 and the M8 as far as Mid Calder, absorbing the B767.[6]
B9080 West Lothian Zone 8 The B9080 used to be part of the A9.
B9150 Highland Zone 8 The B9150 used to be part of the A9.
B9163 Highland Zone 8 A9 rerouted
B9164 Highland Zone 8 A9 rerouted
B9169 Highland Zone 8 A9 rerouted
B9176 Highland Zone 8 The B9176 used to be part of the A9
B9177 Highland Zone 8 The B9177 used to be part of the A9

Irregularities not based on the zoning system[edit]

Road number Location Reason
A135 Stockton-on-Tees The other A13x roads are in southern England.
A139 Stockton-on-Tees The other A13x roads are in southern England.
A176 Basildon, Essex The other A17x roads are in North Yorkshire or County Durham.
A180 Grimsby The other A18x roads are in the North-east. The A180 is numbered as an extension of the M180.
A249 Maidstone - Sheerness, Kent The other A24x roads are in Surrey.
A303 Hampshire - Somerset The other A30x roads are in Surrey and Southwest London.
A403 Avonmouth, South Gloucestershire The other A40x roads are in or around Greater London
A437 Hillingdon, Greater London The other A43x roads are in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire or Warwickshire.
A491 Bromsgrove - Stourbridge The other A49x roads are in North Wales.
A500 Stoke-on-Trent "D"-road The other A50x roads are in London, southern England and Northamptonshire
A506 Liverpool The other A50x roads are in London, southern England and Northamptonshire
A598 Barnet, Greater London The other A59x roads are in Cumbria (but see A594 below)
A720 Edinburgh City Bypass, Edinburgh The other A72x roads are mostly to the south and southeast of Glasgow.
A1018 Tyne and Wear The other A101x roads are in East London and Essex
A1300 South Shields The other A130x roads are in Essex and Cambridgeshire.
A1305 Stockton-on-Tees The other A130x roads are in Essex and Cambridgeshire.
A2022 London & Surrey The other A202x roads are in Sussex.
A2219 Crawley The other A220x and A221x roads are in London.
A2220 Crawley The other A220x and A221x roads are in London, (there are no other A222x roads)
A3031 South London The other A303x roads are in Southwest England.
A3036 South London The other A303x roads are in Southwest England. The route used to be the A303, before it got moved to its current route.
A3113 London Heathrow Airport The other A311x roads are on the Isles of Scilly.
A4010 Buckinghamshire The other A401x roads are in Cheltenham and Bristol.
A4012 Bedfordshire The other A401x roads are in Cheltenham and Bristol.
A4020 West London The other A402x roads are in the West Midlands. The road is numbered after the A402 road, which the A4020 terminates on at its eastern end at Shepherd's Bush.
A4032 Bristol The other A403x roads are in the West Midlands.
A4041 West Midlands The other A404x roads are in the country of Wales.
A4053 Coventry Ring Road, Coventry The other A405x roads are in the country of Wales.
B77 Maybole All other B roads in Great Britain are three or four digits.

Two clearly separate roads with the same number[edit]

Road number Locations Notes
A479 Brecon Beacons Wembley
A594 (Cumbria/Leicester) Cumbria Leicester The Cumbria version predates the Leicester version.
A728 South Glasgow North Glasgow
A1042 Redcar Norwich The Redcar version predates the Norwich version.
A1056 Newcastle upon Tyne Norwich The Newcastle version predates the Norwich version.
A1114 Chelmsford Gateshead
A1199 Islington Woodford Both are in Greater London.
A1243 Great Yarmouth Grimsby
A4102 Amblecote Merthyr Tydfil The Amblecote version predates the Merthyr Tydfil version.
A5028 Seacombe Northamptonshire
A5152 Wrexham Anglesey
A5271 Stoke-on-Trent Keswick, Cumbria
A6013 Derbyshire Kettering
B454 Kingsbury, London West London
B667 Leicester Thurmaston
B1140 Norwich Wroxham
B1172 Spalding Norfolk
B2122 Surrey Brighton
B3153 Somerset Weymouth
B3165 Somerset Surrey
B3206 Devon Surrey
B3330 Winchester Isle of Wight
B3331 Winchester Isle of Wight
B3440 Weston-super-Mare Devon
B4065 Droitwich Warwickshire
B4082 Worcestershire Coventry
B4100 Birmingham Oxfordshire, Warwickshire
B4104 Meriden Kenilworth
B4105 Coventry Solihull
B4118 Birmingham Coventry
B4122 Birmingham Wiltshire
B4587 Dudley Wiltshire
B4624 Llandysul Evesham
B5120 Dunstable Prestatyn
B5142 Wirral Weaverham
B5144 Wirral Weaverham
B5192 Kirkby Kirkham Wirral Only number that exists in three locations.
B5207 Netherton Lancashire
B5210 Central Warrington Warrington
B5444 Mold Swansea The Swansea version is out-of-zone.
B5477 Wallasey Church Stretton The Church Stretton version is out-of-zone.
B6135 Drighlington Yorkshire
B6265 North Yorkshire West Yorkshire
B6322 Haltwhistle Consett
B6374 Roxburghshire Derbyshire
B6452 Galashiels Rochdale
B9178 Dulnain Bridge Peterhead

References[edit]

  1. ^ "How the Motorways were Numbered". Pathetic Motorways. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  2. ^ "Motorway Database - M48". CBRD. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
  3. ^ "Pathetic Motorways".
  4. ^ "How the Motorways were Numbered". Pathetic Motorways. Archived from the original on 2 September 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2006.
  5. ^ "Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images - National Library of Scotland".
  6. ^ "Side by side georeferenced maps viewer - Map images - National Library of Scotland".

External links[edit]

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