A229 road
Encyclopedia
The A229 is a major road
running north-south through Kent
.
The road begins in the Medway
town of Rochester at the foot of Star Hill forming a junction with the A2 road
. It then climbs up through the built-up area of Chatham, passing Troy Town and Rochester Airport
before descending the slope of the North Downs
at Blue Bell Hill
. As it reaches the summit of the climb there is the first of two complicated series of junctions, this with the M2 motorway. Below the road as it descends is the tunnel carrying High Speed 1. Once into the Medway Valley the northern outskirts of Maidstone
are reached; and a second series of junctions, this time with the M20 motorway
are reached.
Six miles (10 km) from its start, the A229 traverses Maidstone through the suburbs of Sandling
and Ringlestone
to the north; when the road reaches the right bank of the River Medway
it is joined by the A26 road
from the west. The road skirts the town and begins to climb - this time up to the Greensand Ridge
. Here the road leading to Tenterden
(the A274
) forms a left-hand junction. The summit is reached at Loose
, built on the southern slope; next, also on a hillside, is Linton
; at the foot of that hill the road enters the broad valley of the River Beult, one of the main tributaries of the River Medway. Nine miles (14 km) from the start, the large linear village
of Staplehurst
is reached, standing on its own piece of higher ground above the plain.
Soon after Staplehurst the road begins another climb - this time up to the Weald
. During the climb it bypasses Cranbrook
; and then follows a further climb into Hawkhurst
. This village is in two parts: where the A268 makes a crossroads, and then lower down comes The Moor, the lower half of the village.
At this point the A229, prior to the 1990s, followed a route south of Hawkhurst, following the course of a Roman
Road passing to the west of Bodiam
and through Cripp's Corner and Sedlescombe
before meeting the A21 just south of the River Brede. This section was redesignated B2244 in the 1990s.
At The Moor the A229 has now taken over the most easterly part of the A265, so that it now joins the A21 north of Hurst Green
just south of the East Sussex border, at Cooper's Corner. This reduced its original length by some 5 miles (8 km).
The A229 through Maidstone is a major bottleneck on the route, with long daily morning and evening queues entering both sides of the town. Otherwise the road passes through little in the way of built-up areas. It is principally a link between the Medway Towns, Maidstone and the south coast around Hastings
.
The road has had the largest Checkpoint campaign the country has ever seen.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
running north-south through 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...
.
The road begins in the Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
town of Rochester at the foot of Star Hill forming a junction with 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...
. It then climbs up through the built-up area of Chatham, passing Troy Town and Rochester Airport
Rochester Airport, England
Rochester Airport is a small airfield located south of Rochester, Kent, England, with the River Medway from the end of runway 34, from Chatham and its Historic Dockyard and the Medway area....
before descending the slope of 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...
at Blue Bell Hill
Blue Bell Hill
Blue Bell Hill is a chalk hill between Maidstone and Rochester in the English county of Kent. It overlooks the River Medway and is part of the North Downs. Settlements on the hill include Walderslade; and Blue Bell Hill and Kit's Coty villages...
. As it reaches the summit of the climb there is the first of two complicated series of junctions, this with the M2 motorway. Below the road as it descends is the tunnel carrying High Speed 1. Once into the Medway Valley the northern outskirts 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...
are reached; and a second series of junctions, this time 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...
are reached.
Six miles (10 km) from its start, the A229 traverses Maidstone through the suburbs of Sandling
Sandling
Sandling is a small hamlet north of Saltwood in Kent. It has a railway station connected to Saltwood village by a bus service. It is also the location of Sandling Park, a large estate and house, which stretches around the village of Saltwood and ends at Saltwood's other satellite hamlet, Pedlinge...
and Ringlestone
Ringlestone
Ringlestone is a hamlet between Wormshill and Harrietsham in the Maidstone district of Kent, England, falling within the civil parish of Wormshill, it is not to be confused with the Ringlestone suburb of Maidstone....
to the north; when the road reaches the right bank of the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
it is joined by the A26 road
A26 road
For the road in Northern Ireland see A26 road The A26 road is one of the three cross-country two-digit numbered roads in the southeast of England, the others being the A25 road and A27 road. It carries traffic from Maidstone in Kent in a generally south-westerly direction to Tunbridge Wells and...
from the west. The road skirts the town and begins to climb - this time up to the Greensand Ridge
Greensand Ridge
The Greensand Ridge is an extensive, prominent, often heavily wooded, sandstone escarpment and range of hills in south-east England. It runs in a horseshoe shape around the Weald of Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It reaches its highest elevation, , at Leith Hill in Surrey—the second highest point...
. Here the road leading to Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
(the A274
A274 road
The A274 is a major road running through mid Kent. The northern end of the road is in Maidstone, at the Wheatsheaf public house where it leaves the A229...
) forms a left-hand junction. The summit is reached at Loose
Loose, Kent
Loose is a village some south of Maidstone, Kent, situated at the head of the Loose Valley. The village and the Loose Valley form the Loose Valley Conservation Area. The fast flowing River Loose which rises near Langley runs through the centre of the village and once supported a paper making...
, built on the southern slope; next, also on a hillside, is Linton
Linton, Kent
Linton is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the southward slope of the Greensand ridge, south of Maidstone on the A229 Hastings road....
; at the foot of that hill the road enters the broad valley of the River Beult, one of the main tributaries of the River Medway. Nine miles (14 km) from the start, the large linear village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Staplehurst
Staplehurst
Staplehurst can mean:* Staplehurst in England* RAF Staplehurst, a World War II airfield in England* Staplehurst railway station* Staplehurst rail crash, a railway accident in 1865* Staplehurst, Nebraska, a small village in the United States...
is reached, standing on its own piece of higher ground above the plain.
Soon after Staplehurst the road begins another climb - this time up to the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
. During the climb it bypasses Cranbrook
Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
; and then follows a further climb into Hawkhurst
Hawkhurst
Hawkhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. The parish lies to the south-east of Tunbridge Wells. Hawkhurst itself is virtually two villages...
. This village is in two parts: where the A268 makes a crossroads, and then lower down comes The Moor, the lower half of the village.
At this point the A229, prior to the 1990s, followed a route south of Hawkhurst, following the course of a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Road passing to the west of Bodiam
Bodiam
Bodiam is a small village and civil parish in East Sussex, England, in the valley of the River Rother near to the villages of Sandhurst and Ewhurst Green. It is home to Bodiam Castle, a small range of houses, a pub opposite Bodiam Castle, and a restaurant...
and through Cripp's Corner and Sedlescombe
Sedlescombe
Sedlescombe is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. The village is located north of Hastings.The parish lies within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The River Brede and its tributary the River Line flow through it; and Powdermill Reservoir is...
before meeting the A21 just south of the River Brede. This section was redesignated B2244 in the 1990s.
At The Moor the A229 has now taken over the most easterly part of the A265, so that it now joins the A21 north of Hurst Green
Hurst Green, East Sussex
Hurst Green is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. The village is located on the A21 road, thirteen miles north of Hastings....
just south of the East Sussex border, at Cooper's Corner. This reduced its original length by some 5 miles (8 km).
The A229 through Maidstone is a major bottleneck on the route, with long daily morning and evening queues entering both sides of the town. Otherwise the road passes through little in the way of built-up areas. It is principally a link between the Medway Towns, Maidstone and the south coast around 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 has had the largest Checkpoint campaign the country has ever seen.