A143 road
Encyclopedia
The A143 is a road that runs from Great Yarmouth
in Norfolk
to Haverhill
in Suffolk
.
For much of the route (between Yarmouth and Bury St Edmunds) the road is classified as a primary route. Over the years the road has been much improved with new by-passes opening at regular intervals. The last of these being the Broome
- Ellingham
bypass in March 2002.
This part of the route runs through some lovely countryside and passes many local attractions along the way. These include Fritton Lake, Caldecotte Hall and Redwings horse sanctuary. The route passes through the villages of St Olaves and Haddiscoe
before joining up, for about 1 mile, with the A146
at a roundabout
a few miles from Beccles
. During the summer months this is an area very popular with holiday makers so the road can be quite busy at times.
until Harleston the road follows the route of the now defunct Waveney Valley Line
railway and progress along this section of the road is generally quite good as there are no reduced speed limits, save for Brockdish
. The road eventually intersects with the A140
Norwich
to Ipswich
road, just outside the Norfolk town of Diss
.
, where there has long been a campaign for a bypass. Along this section the road crosses the A1088 Thetford
to Woolpit
road at Ixworth
. The A1088 joins the A14 at Woolpit.
which gives easy access southwards to London
and north to Cambridge
.
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
to Haverhill
Haverhill, Suffolk
Haverhill is an industrial market town and civil parish in the county of Suffolk, England, next to the borders of Essex and Cambridgeshire. It lies southeast of Cambridge and north of central London...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
For much of the route (between Yarmouth and Bury St Edmunds) the road is classified as a primary route. Over the years the road has been much improved with new by-passes opening at regular intervals. The last of these being the Broome
Broome, Norfolk
Broome is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the north bank of the River Waveney, which forms the border with Suffolk, some 2 km north of the town of Bungay and 20 km south-east of the city of Norwich....
- Ellingham
Ellingham, Norfolk
Ellingham is a civil parish in Norfolk, England. It covers an area of and had a population of 532 in 238 households as of the 2001 census. It lies approximately from Bungay and from Beccles....
bypass in March 2002.
Great Yarmouth to A146
The A143 begins as an off slip from the A12, just south of Great Yarmouth. The road continues in a south-westerly direction. On leaving Yarmouth there is a very short section of dual carriageway and from there the road is a strictly rural affair and there are not many straight sections.This part of the route runs through some lovely countryside and passes many local attractions along the way. These include Fritton Lake, Caldecotte Hall and Redwings horse sanctuary. The route passes through the villages of St Olaves and Haddiscoe
Haddiscoe
Haddiscoe is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some 30 km south-east of the city of Norwich, but only 10 km west of the Suffolk town of Lowestoft.The civil parish has an area of...
before joining up, for about 1 mile, with the A146
A146 road
The A146 is a road that runs between two of East Anglia's largest population centres - Norwich in Norfolk and Lowestoft in Suffolk.The entire route has primary classification and as such has been improved over the years, although traffic levels can lead to delays.- Norwich :Before the construction...
at a roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
a few miles from Beccles
Beccles
Beccles is a market town and civil parish in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. The town is shown on the milestone as from London via the A145 Blythburgh and A12 road, northeast of London as the crow flies, southeast of Norwich, and north northeast of the county town of...
. During the summer months this is an area very popular with holiday makers so the road can be quite busy at times.
A143 to Diss
The road in this area has undergone major changes in the last few decades. The original route took you through the centre of many towns and villages and has now been renumbered the B1062. From the Suffolk town of BungayBungay, Suffolk
Bungay is a market town in the English county of Suffolk. It lies in the Waveney valley, west of Beccles on the edge of The Broads, and at the neck of a meander of the River Waveney.-Early history:...
until Harleston the road follows the route of the now defunct Waveney Valley Line
Waveney Valley Line
The Waveney Valley Line was a branch line running from in Norfolk to Beccles in Suffolk connecting the Great Eastern Main Line at Tivetshall with the East Suffolk Line at . It provided services to Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Ipswich and many other smaller towns in Suffolk with additional...
railway and progress along this section of the road is generally quite good as there are no reduced speed limits, save for Brockdish
Brockdish
Brockdish is a village and civil parish in the South Norfolk district of Norfolk, England. It is in size. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 605 in 265 households. The village is situated on the River Waveney , and is about three miles south-west of Harleston...
. The road eventually intersects with the A140
A140 road
The A140 is an 'A-class' road in Norfolk and Suffolk, East Anglia, England partly following the route of the Roman Pye Road. It runs from the A14 near Needham Market to the A149 south of Cromer. It is of primary status for the entirety of its route. It is approximately 56 miles in length...
Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
to Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
road, just outside the Norfolk town of Diss
Diss
Diss is a town in Norfolk, England close to the border with the neighbouring East Anglian county of Suffolk.The town lies in the valley of the River Waveney, around a mere that covers . The mere is up to deep, although there is another of mud, making it one of the deepest natural inland lakes...
.
Diss to Bury St Edmunds
Once the road leaves Diss it returns to an older route. This takes it through a number of villages on the way to Bury including Great BartonGreat Barton
Great Barton is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district of Suffolk, England, about three miles from Bury St Edmunds. According to Eilert Ekwall, the meaning of the village name is barley enclosure/demesne farm or outlying grange...
, where there has long been a campaign for a bypass. Along this section the road crosses the A1088 Thetford
Thetford
Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , has a population of 21,588.-History:...
to Woolpit
Woolpit
Woolpit is a village in the English county of Suffolk, midway between the towns of Bury St. Edmunds and Stowmarket As of 2007 it has a population of 2030. It is notable for the 12th-century legend of the green children of Woolpit and for its parish church, which has especially fine medieval woodwork...
road at Ixworth
Ixworth
Ixworth is a village and civil parish in the Borough of St Edmundsbury in Suffolk, United Kingdom. It is some northeast of Bury St Edmunds, on the A143 road to Diss and has a population of 2,177. Retrieved 2009-09-28]-Earthworks:...
. The A1088 joins the A14 at Woolpit.
Bury St Edmunds to Haverhill
On arrival in Bury the road travels underneath the A14 and at this point the route is no longer considered primary and now becomes an ordinary A road. It then continues to wind through some nice Suffolk countryside until it links up with the A1307 at Haverhill. From here it is only a short distance to the M11M11 motorway
The M11 motorway in England is a major road running approximately north from the North Circular Road in South Woodford in north-east London to the A14, north-west of Cambridge.-Route:...
which gives easy access southwards to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and north to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
Safety
The road has been criticised for its road safety record, especially in Suffolk, where the road has been described as consistently one of the most dangerous roads in the county.Transport links
Along the route of the A143 you pass next to or very near to a number of railway stations.| Station | Operator | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| Great Yarmouth | National Express East Anglia Wherry Line | Norwich |
| Haddiscoe | National Express East Anglia Wherry Line | Norwich, Lowestoft |
| Beccles | National Express East Anglia East Suffolk Line East Suffolk Line The East Suffolk Line is an un-electrified secondary railway line running between Ipswich and Lowestoft in Suffolk, England. The traffic along the route consists of passenger services operated by National Express East Anglia, while nuclear flask trains for the Sizewell nuclear power stations are... |
Lowestoft, Ipswich, London(Liverpool Street) |
| Diss | National Express East Anglia Great Eastern Main Line Great Eastern Main Line The Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as... |
Norwich, Ipswich, London(Liverpool Street) |
| Bury St Edmunds | National Express East Anglia Ipswich to Ely Line Ipswich to Ely Line The Ipswich to Ely Line is a railway line linking East Anglia to the English Midlands via Ely. There is also a branch line to . Passenger services are operated by National Express East Anglia... |
Cambridge Cambridge The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the... , Peterborough Peterborough Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea... , Ipswich |