A421 road
Encyclopedia
The A421 is an important road for east/west journeys across England
. Together with the A428
, the A43
and A34, it forms the route from Cambridge
through Milton Keynes
to Oxford
. The section between the A1 near St Neots and the A5 in Milton Keynes is a primary route.
(and the junction with the A428
from Cambridge), at the Black Cat Roundabout
. The road bypasses Great Barford
(the bypass opening on August 24, 2006) and Bedford
to the south to reach the M1
at junction 13. From there, it swings up through the southern part of Milton Keynes
, doubling as the local grid road H8 Standing Way. During this time it crosses the A5 (and connects to it via a short spur which is part of the V6 Grafton Street
). Continuing westwards, it forms the Buckingham
by-pass before joining the A43 from Northampton
on the outskirts of Brackley
.
(From there, the westward route becomes the B4031 through Croughton
, Aynho
and Deddington
to join the A361
to Chipping Norton
).
The section from the A1 to the M1 is dual carriageway and fully grade-separated. There is a short section of single carriageway from the new flyover (beside Junction 13) to the south-eastern outskirts of Milton Keynes, where dual carriageway running resumes and continues as far as the southwestern outskirts. From here to the A43, the route is single carriageway, with the exception of the bypass around Tingewick
.
bypass, near Bicester
has a minor claim to fame as the location of the then fastest speeding incident ever recorded by British police, in March 2003. Andrew Osborne, 31, of Leamington Spa
, was filmed by a mobile speed camera while travelling at 157 miles per hour (70.2 m/s) on a motorcycle. His friend Neil Bolger, 30, of Gaydon
, was clocked at 148 miles per hour (66.2 m/s). Both were convicted of dangerous driving, imprisoned for 28 days and banned from driving for two years (with a compulsory re-test).
Martine Brooks drove along the newly constructed A421 Great Barford
Bypass (From the A1 Black Cat Roundabout to Bedford
) and back to raise money for charity. The drive took place two days before the official road opening, and she was accompanied by Frank Branston (Mayor of Bedford), Steve Clarke (Teacher and Navigator), and Denise Hubbard (Driving Instructor and Car Owner).
She reached a speed of 65 miles per hour (29.1 m/s) before doing a flawless three point turn, and returning to the A1.
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...
. Together with the A428
A428 road
The A428 road is a major road in central and eastern England. It connects the cities of Coventry and Cambridge by way of the county towns of Northampton and Bedford.-Coventry - Northampton:...
, the A43
A43 road
The A43 is a primary route in the English Midlands, that runs from the M40 motorway near Ardley in Oxfordshire to Stamford in Lincolnshire. Through Northamptonshire it bypasses the towns of Northampton, Kettering and Corby which are the three principal destinations on the A43 route...
and A34, it forms the route from 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...
through Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. The section between the A1 near St Neots and the A5 in Milton Keynes is a primary route.
Route
The road begins at the A1, just south of St NeotsSt Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
(and the junction with the A428
A428 road
The A428 road is a major road in central and eastern England. It connects the cities of Coventry and Cambridge by way of the county towns of Northampton and Bedford.-Coventry - Northampton:...
from Cambridge), at the Black Cat Roundabout
Black Cat Roundabout
Black Cat Roundabout is the name of the roundabout on the junction between the A1 and A421 Bedford road just south of St Neots...
. The road bypasses Great Barford
Great Barford
Great Barford is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, a few miles north-east of Bedford. It lies on the River Great Ouse at . It is twinned with Wöllstein, Germany...
(the bypass opening on August 24, 2006) and Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
to the south to reach the M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
at junction 13. From there, it swings up through the southern part of Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, doubling as the local grid road H8 Standing Way. During this time it crosses the A5 (and connects to it via a short spur which is part of the V6 Grafton Street
V6 Grafton Street
The V6 Grafton Street is a major local road in Milton Keynes. Its formal name is simply "Grafton Street": the "V6" designation is an urban planning name that indicates that it is the sixth north-south grid road in the Milton Keynes grid road system....
). Continuing westwards, it forms the Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
by-pass before joining the A43 from Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
on the outskirts of Brackley
Brackley
Brackley is a town in south Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Oxford and miles form Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the intersecting trade routes between London, Birmingham and the English Midlands and between Cambridge and Oxford...
.
(From there, the westward route becomes the B4031 through Croughton
Croughton, Northamptonshire
Croughton is a small village in the South Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. It is close to the border with Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and is six kilometres southwest of the town of Brackley...
, Aynho
Aynho
Aynho is a village and civil parish in South Northamptonshire, England, on the edge of the Cherwell valley about southeast of the north Oxfordshire town of Banbury and southwest of Brackley...
and Deddington
Deddington
Deddington is a civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Banbury. In scale Deddington is a village, but it has a town centre with a market place and the local football team is called Deddington Town FC.-History:...
to join the A361
A361 road
The A361 is a major road in England and at is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK. It runs south from Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast to Barnstaple, turning south-east to Tiverton then, after a break , north east from Taunton in Somerset through Street and Glastonbury, past Frome and then...
to Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton is a market town in the Cotswold Hills in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, about southwest of Banbury.-History until the 17th century:...
).
The section from the A1 to the M1 is dual carriageway and fully grade-separated. There is a short section of single carriageway from the new flyover (beside Junction 13) to the south-eastern outskirts of Milton Keynes, where dual carriageway running resumes and continues as far as the southwestern outskirts. From here to the A43, the route is single carriageway, with the exception of the bypass around Tingewick
Tingewick
Tingewick is a village and civil parish about west of Buckingham in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. The parish is bounded to the north by the River Great Ouse, to the east by a tributary of the Great Ouse, to the west by the county boundary with Oxfordshire and to the...
.
M1 Junction 13 to Milton Keynes
In conjunction with the M1 widening schemes and the widening of the A421 between M1 Junction 13 and Bedford that is already finished, proposals have been put forward to also widen the A421 between the M1 junction 13 and the Kingston roundabout in Milton Keynes. Exhibitions were held in June 2005 which rejected proposals to re-route the road in favour of widening the current road. The scheme was given in 2005 an estimated total cost of £33 million. The scheme is currently seeking funding through government bodies and other sources.Five seconds of fame
The A421 TingewickTingewick
Tingewick is a village and civil parish about west of Buckingham in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. The parish is bounded to the north by the River Great Ouse, to the east by a tributary of the Great Ouse, to the west by the county boundary with Oxfordshire and to the...
bypass, near Bicester
Bicester
Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
has a minor claim to fame as the location of the then fastest speeding incident ever recorded by British police, in March 2003. Andrew Osborne, 31, of Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, was filmed by a mobile speed camera while travelling at 157 miles per hour (70.2 m/s) on a motorcycle. His friend Neil Bolger, 30, of Gaydon
Gaydon
Gaydon is a parish and village in Warwickshire, England, close to Leamington Spa. In the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 376.The village is at the junction of the B4100 and B4451 roads, a mile from Junction 12 of the M40 motorway, and is two miles north-east of Kineton.-Motor...
, was clocked at 148 miles per hour (66.2 m/s). Both were convicted of dangerous driving, imprisoned for 28 days and banned from driving for two years (with a compulsory re-test).
Blind driver
BlindBlindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
Martine Brooks drove along the newly constructed A421 Great Barford
Great Barford
Great Barford is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, a few miles north-east of Bedford. It lies on the River Great Ouse at . It is twinned with Wöllstein, Germany...
Bypass (From the A1 Black Cat Roundabout to Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
) and back to raise money for charity. The drive took place two days before the official road opening, and she was accompanied by Frank Branston (Mayor of Bedford), Steve Clarke (Teacher and Navigator), and Denise Hubbard (Driving Instructor and Car Owner).
She reached a speed of 65 miles per hour (29.1 m/s) before doing a flawless three point turn, and returning to the A1.
External links
- Road to Nowhere: A421
- The Great Barford (A421) Driving Challenge
- Highways Agency response to a query about widening the Berry Farm Underpass to allow for the canal (made under the 'Freedom of Information Act')