A441 road
Encyclopedia
A441 is an A-road
in England
which runs from central Birmingham
to Cookhill
, Worcestershire
.
, Redditch
and Birmingham
, the A441 has now largely been superseded by A435
which has been upgraded to the East. Redditch was designated a new town
in 1964, with this came major realignments of the major routes, including the A441, rebuilt to dual carriageway standard through the town. When the M42 was built in 1982, a link road was built from the A441 at Hopwood
to a new junction East of Alvechurch. This later formed part of the Alvechurch bypass when completed in the 1990s. The final section of the road between Cookhill and Dunnington was downgraded in 1995.
in Birmingham as a non primary route, running largely parallel to the A38
. It passes the suburbs of Selly Park
, Stirchley
, Cotteridge
, Kings Norton
and West Heath
before leaving the West Midlands
and entering Worcestershire
. The village of Alvechurch
is now bypassed to the East, connecting with the M42
at junction 2. Upon entering Redditch
the A441 follows new town
dual carriageway roads built in the early to mid 1970s including a short concurrence with the A448
where it gains primary status. Heading Southwards out of Redditch the former road is rejoined and it passes through the village of Astwood Bank
before finally terminating at a staggered junction with the A422
South of Cookhill
, just short of the Warwickshire
border.
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...
in England
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...
which runs from central Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
to Cookhill
Cookhill
Cookhill is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, on the county border near Alcester.-Politics:Cookhill is represented mainly by the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat Party, and is part of the South Redditch ward of Worcestershire County Council and as of January 2010 is...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
History
Once one of the main routes between EveshamEvesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
, Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, the A441 has now largely been superseded by A435
A435 road
The A435 is a main road in England running between Birmingham and Cirencester .-Birmingham to Alcester:...
which has been upgraded to the East. Redditch was designated a new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
in 1964, with this came major realignments of the major routes, including the A441, rebuilt to dual carriageway standard through the town. When the M42 was built in 1982, a link road was built from the A441 at Hopwood
Hopwood, Worcestershire
Hopwood is a small settlement in Worcestershire, located south of Birmingham, England on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. The settlement is developed around an inn, where users of the canal would have broken their journey....
to a new junction East of Alvechurch. This later formed part of the Alvechurch bypass when completed in the 1990s. The final section of the road between Cookhill and Dunnington was downgraded in 1995.
Route
The A441 starts on the MiddlewayA4540 road
The A4540 is a Ring Road in Birmingham, England, also known as the Middle Ring Road, or the Middleway. There are proposals to make it a red route. It runs around the centre of the city at a distance of approximately . Birmingham City Centre is the area within this ring road. The ring road was...
in Birmingham as a non primary route, running largely parallel 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,...
. It passes the suburbs of Selly Park
Selly Park
Selly Park is a residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb of Selly Park is located between the Bristol Road and the Pershore Road .-Toponymy:...
, Stirchley
Stirchley, West Midlands
Stirchley is a southern area of Birmingham, England. Close to the districts of Kings Heath, Bournville, Selly Park, Cotteridge and King's Norton...
, Cotteridge
Cotteridge
Cotteridge is an area of Birmingham, England and is part of the Bournville ward. It is located about 4.5 miles south of Birmingham city centre. Connected to both the Watford Road and the Pershore Road, Cotteridge is a local shopping area.- St Agnes Church :...
, Kings Norton
Kings Norton
Kings Norton is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also a Birmingham City Council ward within the formal district of Northfield.-History:...
and West Heath
West Heath
West Heath may refer to various places in England:*The New School at West Heath, in Sevenoaks, Kent*West Heath, Cheshire, in Congleton*West Heath, Hampshire*West Heath, London, in Bexley, London*West Heath, West Midlands, in Birmingham...
before leaving the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
and entering Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. The village of Alvechurch
Alvechurch
Alvechurch is a large village and civil parish of Bromsgrove district, in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the nearest city is Birmingham, 17 km / 11 miles to the north, with the closest towns being Redditch, 8 km / 5 miles...
is now bypassed to the East, connecting with the M42
M42 motorway
The M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
at junction 2. Upon entering Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
the A441 follows new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
dual carriageway roads built in the early to mid 1970s including a short concurrence with the A448
A448 road
The A448 is a main road in England running between Studley in Warwickshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire.-Route:The A448 starts at a fork junction on the A435 just to the South of Studley, heading North West into the new town of Redditch, entering Worcestershire immediately before a...
where it gains primary status. Heading Southwards out of Redditch the former road is rejoined and it passes through the village of Astwood Bank
Astwood Bank
Astwood Bank is a village adjoining Redditch, Worcestershire to the south. The village is noted for its successful cricket team, who have twice played at Lords in the National Village Knock Out Final.-Politics:...
before finally terminating at a staggered junction with the A422
A422 road
The A422 is an "A" road for east-west journeys in south central England, connecting the county towns of Bedford and Worcester by way of Milton Keynes, Buckingham, Banbury and Stratford-upon-Avon. For most of its length, is a narrow single carriageway....
South of Cookhill
Cookhill
Cookhill is a village and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, on the county border near Alcester.-Politics:Cookhill is represented mainly by the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat Party, and is part of the South Redditch ward of Worcestershire County Council and as of January 2010 is...
, just short of the Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
border.
Bypasses and Realignments
- Alvechurch (Bypassed in the 1990s)
- Redditch (Realigned onto new roads when the New Town was built)
Downgrading
- Cookhill - Dunnington. The A441 is now the B4088, it used to meet the A435 at Dunnington
Places of Interest Along the Route
- Edgbaston Cricket GroundEdgbaston Cricket GroundEdgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
- Cannon Hill ParkCannon Hill ParkCannon Hill Park is a park located in south Birmingham, England. It is the most popular park in the city, covering consisting of formal, conservation, woodland and sports areas...
- Pebble Mill