A4018 road
Encyclopedia
The A4018 is an A-road
from Bristol
to a junction with the M5 motorway
at Cribbs Causeway
. It is one of the three principal roads which link Bristol city centre
to the motorway network (the others being the M32 motorway
and the Portway
).
via Durdham Down
and Shirehampton Road, the main road between Bristol and Avonmouth before the Portway was opened in 1926. By the 1940s only the route from the centre of Bristol to Durdham Down was designated the A4018, and the remainder of the route had been redesignated the B4054. In 1959 Passage Road was widened and rebuilt, and by 1962 the route of the A4018 was extended from Durdham Down to Cribbs Causeway along the former route of the B4055 (Westbury Road), unclassified roads (Falcondale Road and Passage Road) and a further part of the B4055 (Cribbs Causeway), linking with the New Filton Bypass which ran from Cribbs Causeway to the A38
north of Patchway
. In December 1971 the New Filton Bypass was incorporated into the M5 motorway, and the A4018, by then dualled
from Cribbs Causeway to Westbury-on-Trym, became the principal road linking the motorway to west Bristol.
and Whiteladies Road
. It then passes over part of Durdham Down on Westbury Road, then along Falcondale Road and Passage Road through Westbury-on-Trym and Brentry
. The final part of the A4018 is Cribbs Causeway, off which is the unusually-named locale of Catbrain
.
, an iron age
hill fortification.
Great Britain road numbering scheme
The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a numbering scheme used to classify and identify all roads in Great Britain. Each road is given a single letter, which represents the road's category, and a subsequent number, with a length of between 1 and 4 digits. Originally introduced to arrange...
from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
to a junction with the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
at Cribbs Causeway
Cribbs Causeway
Cribbs Causeway is a road in South Gloucestershire, England, just north of Bristol, which has given its name to a large out-of-town shopping centre, including retail parks and an enclosed shopping centre known as The Mall...
. It is one of the three principal roads which link Bristol city centre
Bristol city centre
Bristol city centre is the commercial, cultural and business centre of Bristol, England. It is the area south of the central ring road and north of the Floating Harbour, bounded north by St Pauls and Easton, east by Temple Meads and Redcliffe, and west by Clifton and Canon's Marsh...
to the motorway network (the others being the M32 motorway
M32 motorway
The M32 is a motorway in South Gloucestershire and Bristol, England. It provides a link from Bristol city centre to the M4 and is part of the Bristol Parkway. At about , it is one of Britain's shortest motorways...
and the Portway
Portway, Bristol
The Portway is a trunk road, approximately long, which links central Bristol, England, with its port at Avonmouth. It is part of the A4 road, which was the primary east west highway in Southern England before the construction of the M4 motorway....
).
History
The original route of the A4018 went from Bristol to AvonmouthAvonmouth
Avonmouth is a port and suburb of Bristol, England, located on the Severn Estuary, at the mouth of the River Avon.The council ward of Avonmouth also includes Shirehampton and the western end of Lawrence Weston.- Geography :...
via Durdham Down
Durdham Down
Durdham Down is an area of public open space in Bristol, England. With its neighbour Clifton Down to the southwest, it constitutes a area known as The Downs, much used for leisure including walking, jogging and team sports. Its exposed position makes it particularly suitable for kite flying...
and Shirehampton Road, the main road between Bristol and Avonmouth before the Portway was opened in 1926. By the 1940s only the route from the centre of Bristol to Durdham Down was designated the A4018, and the remainder of the route had been redesignated the B4054. In 1959 Passage Road was widened and rebuilt, and by 1962 the route of the A4018 was extended from Durdham Down to Cribbs Causeway along the former route of the B4055 (Westbury Road), unclassified roads (Falcondale Road and Passage Road) and a further part of the B4055 (Cribbs Causeway), linking with the New Filton Bypass which ran from Cribbs Causeway to the A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
north of Patchway
Patchway
Patchway is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated northwest of central Bristol. The town is a housing overflow for Bristol being contiguous to Bristol's urban area, and is often regarded as a large outer suburb. Nearby are the other Bristol satellite towns of Filton and Bradley Stoke....
. In December 1971 the New Filton Bypass was incorporated into the M5 motorway, and the A4018, by then dualled
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
from Cribbs Causeway to Westbury-on-Trym, became the principal road linking the motorway to west Bristol.
Route
The road runs for 10 miles (16.1 km) from the centre of Bristol to the M5 motorway at Cribbs Causeway. The route includes Park StreetPark Street, Bristol
Park Street is a main street in Bristol, England, linking the city centre to Clifton. It forms part of the A4018.The building of Park Street started in 1761 and it was Bristol's earliest example of uniformly stepped hillside terracing. The street runs from College Green up a steep incline...
and Whiteladies Road
Whiteladies Road
Whiteladies Road is a main road in Bristol, England. It runs north from the Victoria Rooms to Durdham Down, and separates Clifton on the west side from Redland on the east...
. It then passes over part of Durdham Down on Westbury Road, then along Falcondale Road and Passage Road through Westbury-on-Trym and Brentry
Brentry
Brentry is a suburb of north Bristol, England, between Henbury and Southmead which is spread along the southern edge of the Avonmouth-London railway line....
. The final part of the A4018 is Cribbs Causeway, off which is the unusually-named locale of Catbrain
Catbrain
Catbrain Hill, simply known as Catbrain, is a small village near the north of Bristol, at the edge of neighbouring district South Gloucestershire, England. It is located by Cribbs Causeway, on a road that contains many car dealerships....
.
Places of interest
Sites close to the route of the road include Blaise CastleBlaise Castle
Blaise Castle is an 18th century mansion house and estate near Henbury in Bristol , England. Blaise Castle was immortalised by being described as "the finest place in England" in Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey....
, an iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fortification.