A638 road
Encyclopedia
The A638 is a main road 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...

 that runs between the A1 at Markham Moor
Markham Moor
Markham Moor is a village which lies five miles south of the town of Retford in the county of Nottinghamshire. Markham Moor lies on the junction between the A1, A638 and A57 roads...

 in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...

 and Chain Bar Junction 26 of the M62 motorway
M62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...

 south of Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...

 in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....

.

It passes through Retford
Retford
Retford is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, located 31 miles from the city of Nottingham, and 23 miles west of Lincoln, in the district of Bassetlaw. The town is situated in a valley with the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal running through the centre of the...

, Bawtry
Bawtry
Bawtry is a small market town and civil parish which lies at the point where the Great North Road crosses the River Idle in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. Nearby towns include Gainsborough to the east, Retford south southeast, Worksop to the southwest and...

, Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...

, Ackworth
Ackworth, West Yorkshire
Ackworth is a village and civil parish in the metropolitan borough of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, situated between Pontefract, Barnsley and Doncaster on the small River Went. The village consists of four parts, High Ackworth, Low Ackworth, Ackworth Moortop, and Brackenhill...

, Crofton
Crofton, West Yorkshire
Crofton is a village near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly to the south east of the city and is roughly to the west of the town of Pontefract and from the town of Featherstone.-History:...

, Nostell
Nostell
Nostell is a village in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, near Hemsworth. It is in the civil parish of Huntwick with Foulby and Nostell, which has a population of 90, and is the site of an Augustinian priory which received its charter in 1121.Nostell Priory is an 18th century...

, Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....

, Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...

, Heckmondwike
Heckmondwike
Heckmondwike is a small town in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, which is located geographically at the centre of West Yorkshire, England, south west of Leeds. Close to Cleckheaton and Liversedge, it is part of Cleckheckmondsedge, a name invented by J.B. Priestley to represent a West Riding...

 and Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated south of Bradford, east of Brighouse, west of Batley and south-west of Leeds...

.

History

The section of road between Markham Moor and Red House north of Doncaster which runs through the centre of Doncaster was originally the A1 before the Doncaster Bypass, a section of A1(M) was built.

The road used to continue to Odsal Top
Odsal
Odsal is a village in the metropolitan district of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated outside the village of Wibsey. Odsal's main attraction is Odsal Stadium which is the home of the four times Super League champions the Bradford Bulls...

 in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...

 but the road between Chain Bar and Odsal (Cleckheaton Road) has been de-classified from an A road.

Markham Moor to Doncaster

The route starts off as a non-trunk road at the Markham Moor interchange (previously a roundabout before 2008) in West Drayton. Previous to 1967, the A1 approached from the south on what is now the B1164. Previous to 1958, this small section would have been the A1, where it would have met the A57 from Lincoln opposite the Markham Moor Hotel then both roads were concurrent for a hundred yards, then the A57 took the road through West Drayton. When the West Drayton diversion opened in February 1957 (including the roundabout) as the A57, the A1 still went through Retford, until August 1961.
There is a right turn for Askham
Askham, Nottinghamshire
Askham is a village and civil parish in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England, about six miles south-east of East Retford. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 183.St. Nicholas' Church, Askham is Norman, restored in 1906-07....

, then passes through Gamston
Gamston, Bassetlaw
Gamston is a village four miles south of Retford in the county of Nottinghamshire. The village lies on the A638 road between Retford and the Markham Moor junction with the A1 and the A57 roads...

, where there is a left turn for the B6387 near the Bramcote Lorne School, a independent preparatory school. It follows the River Idle
River Idle
The River Idle is a river in Nottinghamshire, England. Its source is the confluence of the River Maun and River Meden, near Markham Moor. From there, it flows north through Retford and Bawtry before entering the River Trent at Stockwith near Misterton...

, and passes to the east of Eaton
Eaton, Nottinghamshire
Eaton is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 105. It is located 2 miles south of Retford, on the A638 road.The parish church was completely rebuilt in 1860 in Decorated style....

, where there is a staggered crossroads, for Upton
Upton, Bassetlaw
Upton, Nottinghamshire, DN22, United Kingdom is a location north of Askham and south of Headon.-Sources:...

 to the east, and it passes the Jamia Al-Karam
Jamia Al-Karam
Jamia Al-Karam is a Muslim boarding school and Islamic Studies College situated in Eaton, UK which was established in 1985 by Shaykh Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada, to cater for the educational of British Muslims....

, a Muslim boarding school. It enters the White Houses part of Retford as London Road, with a right turn for Nether Headon, passing The Whitehouses and the JET
Jet (brand)
Jet is the filling station brand of ConocoPhillips, used in Europe.Jet filling stations are located in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand and the United Kingdom....

 Whitehouses Service Station, a left turn for Ordsall
Ordsall, Nottinghamshire
The area of Ordsall is attached to the township of Retford, Nottinghamshire, England.All Hallow's Church serves the village and is situated beside the River Idle at the south side of Ordsall, an area commonly referred to as "Old Ordsall"....

, then crosses the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...

. There is a crossroads, with the left for Thrumpton. It crosses the Sheffield to Lincoln Line
Sheffield to Lincoln Line
The Sheffield to Lincoln line is a railway line in England. It runs from Sheffield east to Lincoln via Worksop, Retford and Gainsborough Lea Road. The route comprises the main line of the former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, to Gainsborough, Trent Junction, where it then follows...

, passes the former King Edward VI Grammar School on the right (now the Retford Oaks High School
Retford Oaks High School
Retford Oaks High School is a comprehensive school in the market town of Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, situated in the coal-mining district of Bassetlaw.-Admissions:...

 on a new site) opposite the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...

 King Edwards Service Station, and there is a left turn for Albert Road (B6044), the main access for Retford railway station
Retford railway station
Retford railway station serves the town of Retford in Nottinghamshire, England. and is 223 km north of London Kings Cross and 28 km south of Doncaster on the East Coast Main Line...

. It crosses the Cuckoo Way and the Chesterfield Canal
Chesterfield Canal
The Chesterfield Canal is in the north of England and it is known locally as 'Cuckoo Dyke'. It was opened in 1777 and ran 46 miles from the River Trent at West Stockwith, Nottinghamshire to Chesterfield, Derbyshire...

 as Arlington Way, passes the Sherwood Centre, the Bassetlaw Museum, and St. Swithun's church, and the A620 leaves to the north (for Gainsborough
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Gainsborough is a town 15 miles north-west of Lincoln on the River Trent within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. At one time it served as an important port with trade downstream to Hull, and was the most inland in England, being more than 55 miles from the North...

) at traffic lights. As Amcott Way it crosses the River Idle with Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...

 on the west bank of the river, and the A620 (for Worksop) leaves to the west at a roundabout. This part of Retford is West Retford. As North Road it passes the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...

 North Road Service Station (next to a Co-op), Retford Hospital, then the ambulance station on the right hand side.
There is the Sutton Cross Roads for Sutton cum Lound
Sutton cum Lound
Sutton-Cum-Lound is a village located in Bassetlaw, North Nottinghamshire. It is located 3 miles from Retford. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 687. The parish church of St Bartholomew is Norman, rebuilt in the Perpendicular style, with "unbridled curvilinear tracery" in the...

, to the north, and it crosses the ECML at Barnby Moor Bridge. At Barnby Moor
Barnby Moor
Barnby Moor is a village and civil parish in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England, with a population of 257 . The village is about three miles north of East Retford....

 it meets the Old London Road from the south, then the A634 leaves to the west (for Blyth), opposite the Ye Olde Bell, a former coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...

. It passes through Torworth
Torworth
Torworth pronounced ‘Tor-erth’ , is a small village on the A638 or 'Great North Road' in North Nottinghamshire. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 264...

 where there is a right turn for Lound, and a left turn for Blyth, and passes the The Huntsman. At this point for a few miles the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...

 follows directly 500 yards to the east. It crosses a disused railway at Scrooby
Scrooby
Scrooby is a small village, on the River Ryton and near Bawtry, in the northern part of the English county of Nottinghamshire. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 329. Until 1766, it was on the Great North Road so became a stopping-off point for numerous important figures...

 and passes slightly to the west of the village. Scrooby was the home of William Brewster
William Brewster (Pilgrim)
Elder William Brewster was a Mayflower passenger and a Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher.-Origins:Brewster was probably born at Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, circa 1566/1567, although no birth records have been found, and died at Plymouth, Massachusetts on April 10, 1644 around 9- or 10pm...

, leader of the Pilgrim Fathers. It crosses the River Ryton
River Ryton
The River Ryton is a tributary of the River Idle. It is formed from a series of tributaries but begins at Lindrick Common in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. Most of its course is in Nottinghamshire, flowing through the town of Worksop...

, joins the A614, a trunk road, at an awkward junction at Harworth Bircotes. It enters Bawtry
Bawtry
Bawtry is a small market town and civil parish which lies at the point where the Great North Road crosses the River Idle in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. Nearby towns include Gainsborough to the east, Retford south southeast, Worksop to the southwest and...

 and the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire in Yorkshire and the Humber Region of England.In addition to the town of Doncaster, the borough covers Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne and Finningley....

.
On the left hand side is Bawtry Hall, the former site of RAF Bawtry
RAF Bawtry
RAF Bawtry was a Royal Air Force station located at Bawtry Hall in Bawtry and was No. 1 Group RAF Bomber Command headquarters and administration unit during and following WWII.- History :...

, the headquarters of 1 Group
No. 1 Group RAF
Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...

 in the Second World War. The A631
A631 road
The A631 is a road running from Sheffield, South Yorkshire to Louth, Lincolnshire in England. It passes through the counties of South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. The road has many towns on its route including Rotherham, Maltby, Gainsborough and Market Rasen. It is mostly single...

 joins from the east, then leaves to the left at the TOTAL
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...

 Corner Garage. The A614 leaves to the right (for Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield is an international airport located at the former RAF Finningley airbase at Finningley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster within South Yorkshire, England. The airport lies southeast of Doncaster and east of Sheffield.The airport is operated by Peel...

) as a non-trunk road, but the A638 continues to the left as a trunk road. It passes Bawtry library, and continues as a straight road most of the way to Doncaster, crossing the ECML, from the right. Bawtry was a Roman town between Lincoln and Doncaster on a branch of Ermine Street
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston,...

, and the A638 (former A1) follows all the way through Doncaster to the A1. It is the parish boundary between Bawtry to the left and Austerfield
Austerfield
Austerfield is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with Nottinghamshire. It lies to the north-east of Bawtry on the A614 road to Finningley, and is located at 53° 26' 30" North, 1° 0' West, at an elevation of around 7 metres above sea level...

 to the east, under the flight path of Robin Hood Airport to the north-east, then from the Blackfirs RSPCA South Yorkshire Animal Centre, the boundary with Rossington
Rossington
Rossington is a civil parish and former mining village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England and is surrounded by countryside and the market towns of Bawtry and Tickhill.-Geography:...

 to the left. From the Best Western Mount Pleasant Hotel, it is the boundary with Auckley
Auckley
Auckley is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, about five miles east of Doncaster town centre. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 3,266...

 to the east. At Warren House Farm near Hurst Plantation, there is a main right turn for the airport, where the A638 enters the parish of Rossington, deviating from the Ermine Street to the west. It meets Sheep Bridge Lane (B6387) for Rossington to the left, at a Park and Ride on the left hand side next to Rossington Bridge Farm. Crossing the River Torne
River Torne
The River Torne is a river in the north of England, which flows through the counties of South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. It rises at the Upper Lake at Sandbeck Hall, near Maltby in South Yorkshire, and empties into the River Trent at Keadby pumping station...

, it enters Doncaster itself. The club house for Doncaster Golf Club (The Warren golf course) is on the left.
It crosses the M18, then the Doncaster to Lincoln Line
Doncaster to Lincoln Line
The Doncaster to Lincoln line is a railway line in England. It runs from Doncaster south east to Lincoln.Services on the line are provided by East Midlands Trains and Northern Rail, with a few continuing through Lincoln to the Peterborough to Lincoln Line.The towns and villages served by the route...

, and the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...

 Doncaster Service Station. It passes through Bessacarr
Bessacarr
Bessacarr is a large village, located in the south-east of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the most affluent areas in the region. Due, in part, to its respected reputation, Bessacarr has expanded hugely since the Second World War, and is now one of the largest villages in the...

 as Bawtry Road, and at Cantley Bridge it meets Cantley Lane (B1396, for Robin Hood Airport
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield is an international airport located at the former RAF Finningley airbase at Finningley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster within South Yorkshire, England. The airport lies southeast of Doncaster and east of Sheffield.The airport is operated by Peel...

) where it becomes a dual carriageway. It crosses a railway line, passes the JET
Jet (brand)
Jet is the filling station brand of ConocoPhillips, used in Europe.Jet filling stations are located in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand and the United Kingdom....

 Racecourse Service Station and The Dome Leisure Centre
The Dome Leisure Centre
The Dome Leisure Centre is an arena and leisure centre in Doncaster, England, informally known as The Dome or Doncaster Dome. It has a swimming complex, bars, a sports arena that is also used as an event venue and the United Kingdom's first ever split level ice skating rink.The Dome as a concept...

 on the left, and there is a roundabout at Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...

 Doncaster at Gilwice Way to the left (for the A6182
A6182 road
The A6182, or White Rose Way, is a dual carriageway that runs north from junction 3 of the M18 to approximately two miles away from Doncaster town centre....

), and Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...

 is to the right. It meets the A18, from the right, at a roundabout next to the Grand St Leger Hotel, and the former Great North Road continues straight ahead as South Parade through the town centre. The road follows the A18, and leaves the A18 at the next roundabout. As the non-trunk Trafford Way it passes the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....

 Trafford Way Star Service Station, meets the A630 at a roundabout, becoming a trunk road, which passes Doncaster railway station
Doncaster railway station
Doncaster railway station serves the town of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross, and is about five minutes walk from Doncaster town centre. The station is managed by East Coast...

 to the left, and under the Frenchgate Centre
Frenchgate Centre
The Frenchgate Centre is a large shopping centre located in the town centre of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. It is named after the street of the same name that formed one of the old gates of medieval Doncaster....

. The road used to leave at the junction next to the Frenchgate centre, but as Church Way it passes St George's Minster, Doncaster
St George's Minster, Doncaster
The Minster and Parish Church of St George, Doncaster, also known as Doncaster Minster, is a parish church in the Church of England. It is one of the Greater Churches.-History:...

 and leaves at the next roundabout, at the start of the A19
A19 road
The A19 is a major road in England running approximately parallel to and east of the A1 road, although the two roads meet at the northern end of the A19, the two roads originally met at the southern end of the A19 in Doncaster but the old route of the A1 was changed to the A638. From Sunderland...

 next to the new Doncaster College
Doncaster College
Doncaster College is a further and higher education college in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. It comprises two campuses, which are known as "The Hub" and the "University Centre".-Staff and students:...

. It crosses on St George's Bridge over the River Don and the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...

. At a large roundabout, it rejoins the former Ermine Street, and the A19 leaves to the north-east where a railway line crosses over the road.

Doncaster to Wakefield

As York Road the Centurion Retail Park and a Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...

 is on the right, and the JET
Jet (brand)
Jet is the filling station brand of ConocoPhillips, used in Europe.Jet filling stations are located in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand and the United Kingdom....

 Royal Blue Garage on the left. It crosses Lady Pitt's Bridge over a former track of the River Don. It crosses the Trans Pennine Trail
Trans Pennine Trail
The Trans Pennine Trail is a long distance path running from coast to coast across northern England entirely on surfaced paths and using only gentle gradients ....

. At Sunnyfields there is a junction for Barnsley Road (A635
A635 road
The A635 is a main road that runs between Manchester and Doncaster running east–west through Stalybridge, Saddleworth Moor, Holmfirth and Barnsley....

) to the left near the Rix Sun Inn Service Station and The Sun, where the road leaves Ermine Street, to the right, which continues as the Roman Ridge
Roman Ridge
The Roman Rig is the name given to a series of earthworks to the north east of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England that are believed to originally have formed a single Dyke running from near Wincobank in Sheffield to Mexborough. Its purpose and date of construction are unknown...

. It passes the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...

 Sun Inn Service Station on the left, and continues through Scawthorpe, with the Don Valley School and Performing Arts College on the right, and meets Green Lane (B6422) to the left. It enters Highfields where there is the Highwayman Roundabout for Doncaster Lane (B1220) next to the Highwayman. It passes through Woodlands
Woodlands, South Yorkshire
Woodlands is a model village, 3 miles north of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It was designed and built in the early 20th century by Percy Bond Houfton as tied cottages for the miners of the neighbouring Brodsworth Colliery...

 and then Adwick le Street
Adwick le Street
Adwick-le-Street is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.-Geography:It is situated a few miles to the north west of the town of Doncaster. It has a population of 10,507....

. It meets the A1 and A1(M) at the Red House Interchange junction 38, formerly a roundabout before 1979. Ermine Street continues northwards along the A1. Before the bypass in August 1961, the A1 would have passed along the current A638 into Doncaster. Off the junction is a large distribution centre for B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....

.

From the A1, the A638 becomes a single-carriageway road and follows its former route, before it was extended to follow the former A1 from Markham Moor
Markham Moor
Markham Moor is a village which lies five miles south of the town of Retford in the county of Nottinghamshire. Markham Moor lies on the junction between the A1, A638 and A57 roads...

. It passes through Hampole
Hampole
Hampole is a small village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with West Yorkshire. The eastern boundary of the parish is marked by the Great North Road, and the parish lies in what was once the Barnsdale Forest. It has a population of 187.Hampole itself is a...

 and crosses the Leeds and Wakefield section of the ECML. There is a right turn for Skelbrooke near Little John's Well
Little John's Well
Little John's Well is situated near to the A638 at Hampole, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in what was known as Barnsdale Forest.-External links:*...

 near the area known as Barnsdale
Barnsdale
Barnsdale, or Barnsdale Forest, is a relatively small area of South Yorkshire, England which has a rich history and the region is steeped in folklore. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire...

. It enters the borough of Wakefield and crosses a former railway line. In North Elmsall parish there is a new roundabout for an industrial estate, and a roundabout for the new A6021, which leads to the Barnsdale Bar A1/A639 Roman Ridge junction. Previous to the building of this road, the A638 went through North Elmsall
North Elmsall
North Elmsall is a village and civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 4,093. Until 1974 it was part of Hemsworth Rural District.-External links:...

 with a roundabout closer to Upton
Upton, West Yorkshire
Upton is a village and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 3,541.It is situated south of Badsworth and north of North Elmsall and is part of the SESKU area...

. There is a new roundabout with Minsthorpe Lane (B6474) further south, and the A638 now follows part of the former B6474, with a new T-junction for the B6474 near Upton. It continues to the north-west as Doncaster Road. There is a left turn for Hemsworth Marsh, and a right turn for Badsworth
Badsworth
Badsworth is a village and civil parish in the City of Wakefield metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 583. The village is located south of Pontefract....

 and on Badsworth Common it is crossed by the Dearne Valley Line
Dearne Valley Line
The Dearne Valley Line is the name given to a railway line in the north of England running from York to Sheffield via Pontefract Baghill and Moorthorpe.-History:...

 at a 13' 9 (4.2m) low bridge.
It turns due west and enters Ackworth Moor Top
Ackworth, West Yorkshire
Ackworth is a village and civil parish in the metropolitan borough of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, situated between Pontefract, Barnsley and Doncaster on the small River Went. The village consists of four parts, High Ackworth, Low Ackworth, Ackworth Moortop, and Brackenhill...

, meeting Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...

 Road
(A628
A628 road
The A628 is a major road in the north of England connecting Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire by crossing the Pennine chain of hills by way of the Woodhead Pass through the Peak District National Park. The height and the exposure of the road often creates problems during poor weather in winter...

) at a roundbout next to the Beverley Arms. As Wakefield Road it passes the Boot and Show and All Saints' church, there is a right turn, it passes the TOTAL
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...

 Ackworth Service Station and the Angel Inn, it crosses the former Brackenhill Light Railway and passes through Brackenhill. As Doncaster Road it meets the B6428 (for Featherstone
Featherstone
Featherstone is a town and civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It lies south-west of Pontefract and has a population of 14,175.Featherstone railway station is on the Pontefract Line.-History:...

 to the north) at a roundabout at Hessle and Hill Top
Hessle and Hill Top
Hessle and Hill Top is a civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 97. Until 1974 it was part of Hemsworth Rural District....

, and passes through Wragby, passing the Spread Eagle. At Huntwick with Foulby and Nostell it meets Garmill Lane (B6273) to the right, with a left turn for Nostell Priory
Nostell Priory
Nostell Priory is a Palladian house located in Nostell, near Crofton close to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, approached by the Doncaster road from Wakefield...

. It passes through Nostell Park and across Upper Lake. It passes through Foulby
Foulby
Foulby is a village in the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is situated near Nostell, between Crofton and Ackworth Moor Top, on the A638 east-south east of the city of Wakefield.-Persons:...

, birthplace of John Harrison
John Harrison
John Harrison was a self-educated English clockmaker. He invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought device in solving the problem of establishing the East-West position or longitude of a ship at sea, thus revolutionising and extending the possibility of safe long distance sea travel in the Age...

, of longitude fame.

It crosses Windmill Hill, with a right turn for Sharlston. There is a left turn for Crofton
Crofton, West Yorkshire
Crofton is a village near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly to the south east of the city and is roughly to the west of the town of Pontefract and from the town of Featherstone.-History:...

 and it meets Pontefract Road (B6378) at crossroads next to the Crown Carveries Cock & Crown. It meets Weeland Road from the right - the western end of the A645 at the Q8
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation is Kuwait's national oil company, headquartered in Kuwait City. It was founded on January 27, 1980 as an umbrella company, integrating KOC, KNPC, KOTC and PIC and effectively placing them under government control....

 Oakdale Garage, then the B6378 from the left. It crosses the Pontefract Line
Pontefract Line
The Pontefract Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service is operated by Northern Rail, and links Wakefield and Leeds with Goole via Pontefract...

, then passes the Total S.A.
Total
-Mathematics:*Total, the summation of a set of numbers* Total function, a type of partial function in mathematics* Total order, a common total relation in mathematics* Total relation, a type of binary relation in mathematics-Business and enterprise:...

 (former Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...

) Redbeck Services, next to the former Walton Colliery. It crosses a railway line, and at Warmfield cum Heath
Warmfield cum Heath
Warmfield cum Heath is a civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 844. Until 1974 it formed part of Wakefield Rural District....

 it meets Black Road (A655) from the right. Entering the town of Wakefield as Doncaster Road, it passes under a large railway bridge. There is a left turn for Agbrigg
Agbrigg
Agbrigg is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the metropolitan district of the City of Wakefield....

 Road
(B6389). It passes through Fall Ings, passing the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...

 Wakefield Service Station, crosses the Fall Ings Cut of the Calder and Hebble Navigation
Calder and Hebble Navigation
The Calder and Hebble Navigation is a Broad inland waterway in West Yorkshire, England, which has remained navigable since it was opened.-History:...

, and meets Barnsley Road (A61) from the south. It crosses the River Calder near the Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin, Wakefield
Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin, Wakefield
The Chantry Chapel of St Mary the Virgin, Wakefield is a chantry chapel in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England and is designated a Grade I Listed building by English Heritage. It is located south of the city centre on the medieval bridge over the River Calder. It is the only survivor of four...

, and the A61 leaves to the north as Kirkgate and as the dual-carriageway Ings Road the A638 passes under a railway, carrying the Hallam Line
Hallam Line
The Hallam Line is the name given to rail services operated by Northern Rail, in the West Yorkshire Metro/ Travel South Yorkshire area of northern England which connect Leeds and Sheffield via Barnsley. It is the slower of the two routes between Leeds and Sheffield, with faster services provided...

 and Huddersfield Line
Huddersfield Line
The Huddersfield Line is the name given to one of the busiest rail services on the West Yorkshire MetroTrain network in northern England. Local services are operated by Northern Rail with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express...

, then passes retail parks and meets Denby Dale
Denby Dale
Denby Dale is a village and civil parish in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England, to the South East of Huddersfield. As a civil parish it covers the villages of Denby Dale, Lower Denby, Upper Denby, Upper Cumberworth, Lower Cumberworth, Skelmanthorpe, Emley, Emley...

 Road
(A636) at a roundabout next to the Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...

 sorting office. It passes under the ECML
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...

, meets another section of the A636 from the south near the Cathedral Retail Park and splits into two one-way sections around Albion Mills Retail Park, partly as Quebec Street. It continues to the west near the Westgate Retail Park, concurrent with the A642
A642 road
The A642 is an A-road in West Yorkshire, England which runs from Huddersfield to the A64 near Leeds. It connects with the M1, M62 and A63.The road begins at Waterloo east of the town centre before going on via Lepton, Grange Moor, Middlestown, Horbury into Wakefield City Centre.The road then goes...

, as Westgate End becoming single-carriageway. At Westgate Common, the road forks into Horbury Road (A642) to the south-west, and Dewsbury Road (A638) due west at St Michael's church.

Wakefield to Bradford

It passes a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

 and the Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...

 Wakefield Dewsbury Road on the right, opposite The Magnet, and at Borough Corner meets George-a-Green Road (B6475) from the south at crossroads. It passes the English Martyrs Catholic Primary School on the right, and climbs the hill out of Wakefield. It meets Broadway from the south and becomes Wakefield Road at the Old Malt Shovel. It passes the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...

 Ossett
and Roundwood Industrial Estate on the left, and becomes a dual-carriageway, built with the M1 junction 40 by Costain
Costain
The Manx name Costain derives from Thorstein and is of Viking origin. Theoretically every Costain in the world is related because the name comes from just one clan that established itself on the IoM around 1100 years ago. So Costain for example started in a small workshop on the Colby Main Road...

 in October 1968. It passes a BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...

 garage on the left, with the Leeds-Wakefield Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...

 on Queen's Drive, and the Silkwood Park business park and the Days Hotel
Days Inn
Days Inn is a motel chain headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1970, it is now a part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, which was formerly a part of Cendant...

 Wakefield on the right. It meets the M1 at a roundabout and continues to the west as a dual-carriageway, passing through Gawthorpe
Gawthorpe, Wakefield
Gawthorpe is a village to the north of Ossett in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It is roughly midway between Wakefield and Dewsbury north of the A638....

. The former A638 continues through Ossett
Ossett
Ossett is a market town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on junction 40 of the M1 motorway, half-way between Dewsbury, to the west, and Wakefield, to the east. In the 2001 census, it was classified as part of the West Yorkshire...

 as the B6129. It becomes the single-carriageway Chancery Road at a roundabout with Leeds Road (B6128). At Chickenley
Chickenley
Chickenley was predominantly a large council estate in the east of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England. It was originally a farming hamlet, half-way between Ossett and Dewsbury...

 it meets the former route, becoming Wakefield Road, entering the borough of Kirklees
Kirklees
The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...

.
At Earlsheaton there is a crossroads, and the road descends down the Calder valley into Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...

 passing the BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...

 Ossett Service Station. The A638 forms the Dewsbury Ring Road, with two sections - one trunked and one untrunked. The trunked section is Aldams Road, Vicarage Road and Rishworth Road, which meets Wilton Street (B6409). The untrunked section passes Dewsbury railway station
Dewsbury railway station
Dewsbury railway station serves the town of Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, England. The station is south west of Leeds on the Huddersfield Line.The station is managed by TransPennine Express trains and it is the stop between Leeds and Huddersfield.-History:...

 and meets Leeds Road (A653). The two divide near Dewsbury Sainsbury's and the Rishworth Centre Retail Park. It passes under a railway bridge as Halifax Road, and passes a campus on the right of Kirklees College
Kirklees College
Kirklees College is a further education college with two main centres in the towns of Dewsbury and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.-History:...

, the former Dewsbury Technical School of Art and Science. Further north it passes the Wheelwright Campus of Kirklees College
Kirklees College
Kirklees College is a further education college with two main centres in the towns of Dewsbury and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.-History:...

 - the former Wheelwright Grammar School for Boys. There is a left turn for Healds Road for Dewsbury and District Hospital. There is a crossroads for Dewsbury Gate Road near the Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...

 Halifax Road Garage in Staincliffe
Staincliffe
Staincliffe is a cross-over district of both Batley, West Yorkshire, England and Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England; the name is believed to derive from staine, meaning stone and cliffe, cliff...

. It meets Batley Road (B6123) from the right next to the Junction Inn, becoming High Street. It passes Heckmondwike Grammar School
Heckmondwike Grammar School
Heckmondwike Grammar School is a state selective, coeducational grammar school providing free education, located in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, England.-Admissions:...

 and St James's church on the left, then passes through Heckmondwike
Heckmondwike
Heckmondwike is a small town in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, which is located geographically at the centre of West Yorkshire, England, south west of Leeds. Close to Cleckheaton and Liversedge, it is part of Cleckheckmondsedge, a name invented by J.B. Priestley to represent a West Riding...

 town centre, meeting Market Street (B6117) from the left, and Northgate (B6117) from the right, passing Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...

 Heckmondwike on the left. It becomes Westgate and passes the imposing Flush Mills, home of Rieter
Rieter
Rieter is a producer of textile machinery and automobile components, based in Winterthur, Switzerland.-History:Founded in 1795 by Johann Jacob Rieter , the company initially produced textile products...

 Automotive, who make car furnishings.
It passes the Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....

 Flush Garage (former Gulf
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...

 and TOTAL) on the right, and meets the A62
A62 road
The A62 is a major road in Northern England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds.The road is approximately 40 miles long. It runs north east from Manchester through Failsworth and Oldham then Saddleworth before crossing the Pennines at Standedge into West Yorkshire...

 (Leeds Road and Huddersfield Road), becoming Bradford Road near The Swan in Liversedge
Liversedge
Liversedge is a township in the former parish of Birstall, in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Liversedge lies between Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike about southwest of Leeds.-Settlements within Liversedge:...

. It passes a BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...

 (former Shell) Millbridge Filling Station on the left, and in Littletown
Littletown, Liversedge, Kirklees
Littletown is a suburb of Liversedge, West Yorkshire, in the north of England. Much of the town centre was demolished in the 1960s for road widening....

 it becomes a dual-carriageway, which destroyed much of the village centre when it was built. At Rawfolds it passes the Princess Mary Stadium and crosses the River Spen
River Spen
The River Spen is a river in the county of West Yorkshire, England and is a tributary of the River Calder. It rises north of Cleckheaton, runs through Liversedge and flows into the River Calder, West Yorkshire south of Dewsbury at Ravensthorpe. The average rainfall for the river valley is between...

. As Dewsbury Road in Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated south of Bradford, east of Brighouse, west of Batley and south-west of Leeds...

 it meets the A643
A643 road
The A643 is a main road in West Yorkshire, England.It starts at the Armley Gyratory and ends at junction 23 of the M62 Motorway and is approximately long....

 at crossroads. It meets Whitcliffe Road (B6120) from the left, then Hunsworth Lane (B6121) from the right at Moorend. It passes the Spen Trading Estate on the right, and meets the M62, M606, and Whitehall Road (A58) at the Chain Bar Roundabout, where the road terminates.

The road from here used to pass north through Oakenshaw
Oakenshaw, West Yorkshire
Oakenshaw is a village near Cleckheaton in the City of Bradford and Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England.It is situated to the south of Bradford, close to the M606 motorway and junction 26 of the M62....

, which runs parallel next to the M606, and then Low Moor
Low Moor, Bradford
Low Moor is a village in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England.- History :Before 1790 Low Moor was nothing but a hamlet where a small number of cottages housed a few handloom weavers who sold their produce in places like the Halifax Piece Hall...

. At the Odsal Top roundabout (with the A6036 and A641, for Huddersfield), the road that continues on the opposite side of the roundabout is the B6380, and continues to Horton Bank Top, meeting the A647 near Horton Bank Country Park.

The M606
M606 motorway
The M606 Bradford Spur motorway in England leaves the M62 motorway at junction 26, near Cleckheaton, and heads into Bradford, to join the A6177 Bradford Ring Road...

at one point was to be named the A638(M).

External links

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