A20 road
Encyclopedia
The A20 is a two-digit major road in south-east England
, carrying traffic from London
to Dover
in Kent
. Parts of the route now followed by the modern road, particularly the first section, was opened as a turnpike
in the early part of the 18th century. The line of the road throughout Kent runs closely in parallel with the M20 motorway
.
Traffic leaving London at first takes the A2 road
; at New Cross
in the London Borough of Lewisham
the A20 turns off and heads in a south-easterly direction, becoming in turn Lewisham Way and Loampit Vale. The latter road forms a large junction, where the A21 leaves for Hastings
. The road now runs through Lee High Road into Eltham Road, which in early days took the A20 through Eltham
. This junction contains a 41 m yellow box junction. A little over 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) along Eltham Road begins the Sidcup
Arterial Road
, opened in 1923, and which continues as the Sidcup Bypass, crossing the A222 at Frognal Corner and the A224 at Crittall's Corner. At Swanley
it metamorphoses into the M20 motorway
.
Entering Kent, it runs past Swanley
and the racing circuit at Brands Hatch
before descending steeply from the North Downs
escarpment
past Wrotham
and on to the county town of Maidstone
. The route beyond Maidstone travels East, through the villages of Bearsted
, Harrietsham
, Lenham
and Charing
to Ashford
.
The section between Maidstone and Ashford, was the only link between the two separate sections of the M20 for 10 years, during the 1980s until the 14 miles (22.5 km) missing link of the motorway was completed in the early 1990s. Part of the A20 in Ashford formed part of the Ashford By-Pass, a dual carriageway which used to run from what is now the roundabout with Simone Weil Avenue to the Willesborough roundabout. Simon Weil Avenue, is the original A20 bypass, but has been diverted to curtail at Canterbury Road. The eastern end of the old by-pass is now the M20.
The A292 takes over the former A20 through Ashford itself, but the road soon remerges as it heads through Willesborough
and Sellindge
in the direction of Hythe
. It takes a sharp turn left at Newingreen
(the site of the UK's first motel
) before entering Folkestone
via Cheriton
, passing the vehicular entrance to the Channel Tunnel
, forming part of the town's original bypass
as the trunk road
from the M20.
Just before Folkestone the M20 becomes a dual carriageway and enters the roundhill tunnel where it proceeds along the Alkham Valley before crossing over and dropping down into Dover. This part of the A20 was completed in the 1990s. Prior to that the M20 terminated in Folkestone at what is now the A259 Churchill Avenue.
The route then follows the coastline, tunnelling through the hills and descending to the dock
s in Dover, where it meets the A2 again coming down from Canterbury
.
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...
, carrying traffic from 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...
to Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Parts of the route now followed by the modern road, particularly the first section, was opened as a turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
in the early part of the 18th century. The line of the road throughout Kent runs closely in parallel with the M20 motorway
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
.
Traffic leaving London at first takes the A2 road
A2 road (Great Britain)
The A2 is a major road in southern England, connecting London with the English Channel port of Dover in Kent. This route has always been of importance as a connection between the British capital of London and sea trade routes to Continental Europe...
; at New Cross
New Cross
New Cross is a district and ward of the London Borough of Lewisham, England. It is situated 4 miles south-east of Charing Cross. The ward covered by London post town and the SE 14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich...
in the London Borough of Lewisham
London Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
the A20 turns off and heads in a south-easterly direction, becoming in turn Lewisham Way and Loampit Vale. The latter road forms a large junction, where the A21 leaves for Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
. The road now runs through Lee High Road into Eltham Road, which in early days took the A20 through Eltham
Eltham, London
-Parks and open spaces:There is a large variety of open green space in Eltham, in the form of parkland, fields and woodland.*Avery Hill Park is large, open parkland, situated to the east of Eltham. It is most notable for its Winter Garden, a hothouse containing tropical trees and plants from around...
. This junction contains a 41 m yellow box junction. A little over 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) along Eltham Road begins the Sidcup
Sidcup
Sidcup is a district in South East London in the London Borough of Bexley and small parts of the district in the London Borough of Greenwich.Located south east of Charing Cross, Sidcup is bordered by the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bromley and Kent County Council, and whilst now part of...
Arterial Road
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
, opened in 1923, and which continues as the Sidcup Bypass, crossing the A222 at Frognal Corner and the A224 at Crittall's Corner. At Swanley
Swanley
Swanley is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located on the south-eastern outskirts of London, north of Sevenoaks town. The town boundaries encompass the settlements of Swanley itself, Hextable and Swanley Village...
it metamorphoses into the M20 motorway
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
.
Entering Kent, it runs past Swanley
Swanley
Swanley is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located on the south-eastern outskirts of London, north of Sevenoaks town. The town boundaries encompass the settlements of Swanley itself, Hextable and Swanley Village...
and the racing circuit at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
before descending steeply from the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
past Wrotham
Wrotham
Wrotham is a village situated on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is located one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east of Sevenoaks. It is within the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways....
and on to the county town of Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
. The route beyond Maidstone travels East, through the villages of Bearsted
Bearsted
Bearsted is an ancient village and civil parish in mid-Kent, three miles to the east of Maidstone. The original village site was on the north bank of the River Len, a tributary of the River Medway, and at the foot of the North Downs....
, Harrietsham
Harrietsham
Harrietsham is a rural village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, it has a population of around 1,504. The parish is located on the slope of the North Downs, east of Maidstone...
, Lenham
Lenham
Lenham is a market village in Kent situated on the southern edge of the North Downs, halfway between Maidstone and Ashford. The picturesque square in the village has two public houses , a couple of restaurants, and a tea-room....
and Charing
Charing
Charing is a small village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, in south-east England. The parish population is 2,750 ; it includes the settlement of Charing Heath.It is situated at the foot of the North Downs...
to Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
.
The section between Maidstone and Ashford, was the only link between the two separate sections of the M20 for 10 years, during the 1980s until the 14 miles (22.5 km) missing link of the motorway was completed in the early 1990s. Part of the A20 in Ashford formed part of the Ashford By-Pass, a dual carriageway which used to run from what is now the roundabout with Simone Weil Avenue to the Willesborough roundabout. Simon Weil Avenue, is the original A20 bypass, but has been diverted to curtail at Canterbury Road. The eastern end of the old by-pass is now the M20.
The A292 takes over the former A20 through Ashford itself, but the road soon remerges as it heads through Willesborough
Willesborough
Willesborough is a residential suburb on the eastern side of Ashford, Kent, England.-The area:The South Willesborough Dykes area, on the west bank of the East Stour river, is an area of sheep fields drained by dykes. The area is designated as the South Willesborough Dykes Site of Nature...
and Sellindge
Sellindge
Sellindge is a civil parish and village on the A20 road between Ashford and Folkestone in Kent, South East England. Sellindge is part of North Downs West Ward of Shepway District Council but part of the Elham ward of Kent County Council....
in the direction of Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
. It takes a sharp turn left at Newingreen
Newingreen
Newingreen is a village near Folkestone in Kent, England. It is situated on the A20, near Junction 11 of the M20. Historically it was at the junction of Stone Street and the road to Folkestone.The village contains the global headquarters of Holiday Extras....
(the site of the UK's first motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
) before entering Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
via Cheriton
Cheriton, Kent
Cheriton is a northern suburb of Folkestone in Kent that is the location of the English terminal of the Channel Tunnel. It is the location of the major army barracks of Shorncliffe Camp.- History :...
, passing the vehicular entrance to the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
, forming part of the town's original bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
as the trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
from the M20.
Just before Folkestone the M20 becomes a dual carriageway and enters the roundhill tunnel where it proceeds along the Alkham Valley before crossing over and dropping down into Dover. This part of the A20 was completed in the 1990s. Prior to that the M20 terminated in Folkestone at what is now the A259 Churchill Avenue.
The route then follows the coastline, tunnelling through the hills and descending to the dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
s in Dover, where it meets the A2 again coming down from Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
.
Trivia
- The PrisonerThe PrisonerThe Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
episode "Fall OutFall Out (The Prisoner)"Fall Out" is the seventeenth and final episode of the allegorical British science fiction series The Prisoner, which starred Patrick McGoohan as the incarcerated Number Six...
" features the A20. As the surviving characters leave The Village, the lorry on which they are travelling is clearly shown to emerge onto the A20, heading towards London.