A686 road
Encyclopedia
The A686 is a road in northern England
. It runs from Penrith
in Cumbria
to Haydon Bridge
in Northumberland
. The AA
named the A686 One of the Greatest Drives in Britain owing to the dramatic scenery of the Pennines
mountains encountered along its route. The road is popular with motorcyclists, and due to the great number of steep bends many casualties occur along the road. It was recently voted 9th best drive in the country by Top Gear
.
with the A66 road and A6 road on the edge of Penrith though it originally started in nearby Carleton
at a crossroads with the former route of the A66. The road heads in a north-easterly direction crossing the River Eden
before going through the village of Langwathby
. It continues through Melmerby
and across the Pennines
before reaching the isolated market town of Alston
.
It meets the A689 road
(to Brampton
and Bishop Auckland
) and then crosses the border into Northumberland
. It continues past the villages of Ninebanks
, Bearsbridge
and Whitfield
. It meets the B6305 road to Hexham
, and 3.1 miles (5 km) later terminates at its junction with the A69 road just east of Haydon Bridge.
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...
. It runs from Penrith
Penrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
to Haydon Bridge
Haydon Bridge
Haydon Bridge is a village in Northumberland, England, with a population of about 2000. Its most distinctive features are the two bridges crossing the River South Tyne; the picturesque original bridge for which the village was named and a modern bridge which used to carry the A69 road...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. The AA
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
named the A686 One of the Greatest Drives in Britain owing to the dramatic scenery of the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
mountains encountered along its route. The road is popular with motorcyclists, and due to the great number of steep bends many casualties occur along the road. It was recently voted 9th best drive in the country by Top Gear
Top Gear (magazine)
Top Gear is an automobile magazine published by BBC Worldwide, and named after the BBC's Top Gear television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published monthly at a price of £3.95. The major presenters of the television series—Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson—are...
.
Route
The A686 begins at a roundaboutRoundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
with the A66 road and A6 road on the edge of Penrith though it originally started in nearby Carleton
Carleton village
Carleton used to be a separate village or small hamlet one mile east of the centre of Penrith, Cumbria, England. Today, it is a rural suburb in an area of Penrith that has seen the most growth of housing in the past 30 years.- Name origin :...
at a crossroads with the former route of the A66. The road heads in a north-easterly direction crossing the River Eden
River Eden, Cumbria
The River Eden is a river that flows through Cumbria, England on its way to the Solway Firth.-Course of river:The Eden rises in Black Fell Moss, Mallerstang, on the high ground between High Seat, Yorkshire Dales and Hugh Seat. Here it forms the boundary between the counties of Cumbria and North...
before going through the village of Langwathby
Langwathby
Langwathby is a village and civil parish in northern Cumbria, England. It is situated about north east of Penrith on the A686 road. The village lies on the banks of the River Eden....
. It continues through Melmerby
Melmerby, Cumbria
Melmerby is a village in Cumbria, England. It is a small village with a population of around 200. It is relatively quiet because the area is not as popular with tourists as other parts of Cumbria...
and across the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
before reaching the isolated market town of Alston
Alston, Cumbria
Alston is a small town in Cumbria, England on the River South Tyne. It is one of the highest elevation towns in the country, at about 1,000 feet above sea level.-Geography:...
.
It meets the A689 road
A689 road
The A689 is a road in northern England, that runs east from Junction 44 of the M6 motorway, north of the centre of Carlisle in Cumbria, to Hartlepool, in the North East....
(to Brampton
Brampton, Carlisle, Cumbria
Brampton is a small market town and civil parish within the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England about 9 miles east of Carlisle and 2 miles south of Hadrian's Wall. It is situated off the A69 road which bypasses it...
and Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
) and then crosses the border into Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. It continues past the villages of Ninebanks
Ninebanks
Ninebanks is a small village in south west Northumberland, England in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty north-east of Alston by road. It is noted for the early sixteenth century Ninebanks Tower, sometimes described as a pele tower, but possibly built as a watchtower...
, Bearsbridge
Bearsbridge
Bearsbridge is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated to the west of Hexham, on the A686.- Governance :Bearsbridge is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham....
and Whitfield
Whitfield, Northumberland
Whitfield is a village in the county of Northumberland, England about southwest of Hexham. It has a farming community and is set against beautiful scenic background; sometimes it has been called Little Switzerland....
. It meets the B6305 road to Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
, and 3.1 miles (5 km) later terminates at its junction with the A69 road just east of Haydon Bridge.