A166 | ||||
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Route information | ||||
Length | 24.72 mi (39.78 km) | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | Grimston Bar | |||
A64 A614 | ||||
East end | A614 | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United Kingdom | |||
Primary destinations | York Driffield | |||
Road network | ||||
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The A166 road is a trunk road between the outskirts of York and Driffield in the historic county of Yorkshire. The road used to terminate at the seaside town of Bridlington, until the opening of the Driffield by-pass caused the final section to be renumbered as the A614.
The A166 follows the path of an old Roman road from York to Stamford Bridge, where it forded the river at the place where the modern Stamford Bridge is located. [1] The bridge is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle about the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. The road was turnpiked between York and Stone Dale as part of the York, Kexby Bridge, Grimston and Stone Dale Turnpike Trust established in 1806. A turnpike Trust had existed since 1765, but this included new maintenance provisions. The Trust lasted until 1872. [2] The turnpike started from Grimston Smithy and the introduction of a toll bar on the road at this place led to the eventual change of name to Grimston Bar. [3]
There are a number of scheduled monuments that lay alongside the A166, most notably in the area of Garrowby Hill:
In 1983, the Driffield by-pass was built and became the route of the A166, which had previously gone through the centre of the busy market town. The by-pass was renumbered in 1996 to become the A614 and thus shorten the historic old road.
In 2008, a feasibility study was carried out and proposals were put forward on behalf of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council for an alternative crossing of the River Derwent at Stamford Bridge. [15] The current Grade II listed bridge only allows for one way flow and is controlled by traffic lights. It has a record for causing peak hour delays during the working week. Alternative routes included utilising the disused York to Beverley railway line crossing downstream from the current bridge. Also adding a new structure right next to the existing bridge was put forward. Other proposals involved two routes to the north of the river, one crossing just north of the caravan site on Buttercrambe Road and the other a complete new by-pass missing the village altogether. The report concluded that the best options did not score well enough for the Regional Transport Board to take forward and should not be pursued.
In 2009, the stretch of the A166 along Main Road and York Road, between the turnings for the B1248, in Wetwang was the location for the third and final intermediate sprint, which was won by Thomas De Gendt of Belgium, during that year's Tour of Britain Stage 1 from Scunthorpe to York. [16]
The road starts as an exit on the Grimston Bar interchange on the A64 on the outskirts of York. It heads north east pass the turnings for Murton, Dunnington and Holtby within the first couple of miles. The first settlement that lies upon the road is Gate Helmsley. From here the road gradually turns in an easterly direction until it is required to cross the River Derwent at Stamford Bridge. The bridge lies north east to south west at the point where there used to be a fording point. On exiting the town, the road returns to a north east direction to follow the route of the old Roman road. On the next section there is a turning northward toward the hamlets of Buttercrambe and Scrayingham at which point it turns easterly again. This is closely followed by a staggered junction further on with an exit south towards Full Sutton and north to Skirpenbeck. There are also turnings soon after to the south for Youlthorpe and north to Bugthorpe.
Just south of the hamlet of Garrowby the road takes a sharp turn south and then back east at the foot of Garrowby Hill. The hill is the highest point on the Yorkshire Wolds and was the subject of a painting [17] by David Hockney. The road up the hill covers 2.4 miles (3.9 km), rising from 177 feet (54 m) to 791 feet (241 m) at an average gradient of 4.8%. [18] Part way up the hill, is the southerly turn off toward Bishop Wilton. Shortly after this junction an emergency stopping track can be seen on the downward side of the road. Consisting of gravel and sand, this is intended for vehicles to use in the event of a mechanical problem. There are several places where the road has been widened to allow slower traffic ascending or descending to pull to the left and allow faster vehicles to pass. In the next 3 miles (4.8 km), there are junctions with the routes to Great Givendale and Pocklington to the south and Thixendale to the north. At a dip and curve in the road known as Stone Dale, the road once more goes in a north east direction.
The A166 next runs through Fridaythorpe. On exiting the village, it meets the B1251 road to Bridlington, which is designated as a Scenic Route. Travelling in an easterly direction, the road follows an ancient green lane until it reaches the village of Wetwang. Either side of the village the road intersects the B1248 Beverley to Malton road. The road continues to Garton-on-the-Wolds, where it is met by the B1251 heading north west to Sledmere. From here it turns south east to its junction with the A614 Driffield By-pass.
Only junctions with classified designations are included in the table below.
A166 Road | |||
Northbound* exits | Junction | Southbound* exits | Coordinates |
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Grimston Bar Junction A64 (road) | Grimston Bar Roundabout | Start of road | 53°57′28″N1°00′41″W / 53.95778°N 1.01139°W |
Fimber, Sledmere, B1251 | 54°01′12.4″N0°39′45.6″W / 54.020111°N 0.662667°W | ||
North Grimston, Malton, B1248 | Tibthorpe, Bainton, Lund, Beverley B1248 | 54°01′07.2″N0°35′35.5″W / 54.018667°N 0.593194°W Northbound 54°01′10.0″N0°34′25.7″W / 54.019444°N 0.573806°W Southbound | |
Sledmere, B1252 | 54°01′27.8″N0°30′42.6″W / 54.024389°N 0.511833°W | ||
A614 road to Bridlington | York Road Roundabout | A614 road to Goole York Road, Driffield, End of road | 54°00′31.7″N0°27′13.1″W / 54.008806°N 0.453639°W |
The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to the south-west, and Lincolnshire to the south across the Humber Estuary. The city of Kingston upon Hull is the largest settlement.
The Yorkshire Wolds are hills in the counties of the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in Northern England. They are the northernmost chalk hills in the UK and within lies the northernmost chalk stream in Europe, the Gypsey Race.
Driffield, also known as Great Driffield, is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The civil parish is formed by the town of Driffield and the village of Little Driffield. By road, it is 53 miles (85 km) north-east of Leeds, 29 miles (47 km) east of York and 23 miles (37 km) north of Hull.
Wetwang is a Yorkshire Wolds village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, 6 miles west of Driffield on the A166 road.
Stamford Bridge is a village and civil parish on the River Derwent in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of York and 22 miles (35 km) west of Driffield. The village sits astride an ancient ford on the River Derwent.
The A614 is a main road in England running through the counties of Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Bishop Wilton Wold is the highest point of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The summit, known as Garrowby Hill, lies about five miles north of Pocklington.
The A64 is a major road in North and West Yorkshire, England, which links Leeds, York and Scarborough. The A64 starts as the A64(M) ring road motorway in Leeds, then towards York it becomes a high-quality dual carriageway until it is east of the city, where it becomes a single carriageway for most of its route to Scarborough.
Little Driffield is a small village in the civil parish of Driffield, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the western outskirts of Great Driffield, to the west of the A614 road and south of the A166 road.
Garton on the Wolds is a village and a civil parish on the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately 3 miles (5 km) north-west of Driffield town centre and lies on the A166 road.
Woldgate is a minor road in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, which follows the line of a Roman road. It runs for a distance of 10 miles (16 km) from a junction with the A165 on the western edge of Bridlington, through the village of Kilham, to a junction with the B1249 4 miles (6 km) north of Driffield. For most of its length Woldgate follows a low ridge of the Yorkshire Wolds, with extensive views to north and south.
The Malton and Driffield Junction Railway, later known as the Malton and Driffield branch was a railway line in Yorkshire that ran between the towns of Malton, North Yorkshire and Driffield in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Kirby Underdale is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately six miles north of Pocklington town centre and lies one mile north of the main A166 road from York to Driffield.
Garrowby is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately 5 miles (8 km) north of Pocklington town centre. It lies to the north of the A166 road and forms part of the civil parish of Kirby Underdale.
The York–Beverley line was a railway line between York, Market Weighton and Beverley in Yorkshire, England. The line was sanctioned in 1846 and the first part, the York to Market Weighton Line opened in 1847. Construction of the second part to Beverley was delayed for 17 years in part by the downfall of George Hudson, and a less favourable financial environment following the collapse of the 1840s railway bubble; the North Eastern Railway revived and completed the scheme in the 1860s; the Market Weighton to Beverley Line opened in 1865.
The East Riding of Yorkshire is a local government district with unitary authority status, and is a ceremonial county of England. It is named after the historic East Riding of Yorkshire which was one of three ridings alongside the North Riding and West Riding, which were constituent parts a Yorkshire ceremonial and administrative county until 1974. From 1974 to 1996 the area of the modern East Riding of Yorkshire constituted the northern part of Humberside.
The Minster Way is a 50-mile (80 km) walking route between the Minsters of Beverley and York in England. It crosses the chalk hills of the Yorkshire Wolds, as well as a wide variety of the East Riding of Yorkshire countryside. Part of the route follows the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail across Sylvan Dale before diverting to Millington, Bishop Wilton and Stamford Bridge, where it follows the River Derwent into the Plain of York as far as the River Ouse.
The Chalkland Way is a 40-mile (64 km) circular walking route in the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire, England. The route covers the chalky hills and valleys of the western Yorkshire Wolds, with the common starting point in the town of Pocklington.
Stamford Bridge is a historic bridge, in the village of Stamford Bridge, in the East Riding of Yorkshire in England.