please empty your brain below
I used to live on the A109. It was pretty noisy and has put me off living on main roads since.

martin | 10.07.20 - 7:09 a.m. | #

My unclassified road has a number - which surely makes it classified. As its a five digit number starting with a five I think the A11 trumps me by quite a bit.

bblb | 10.07.20 - 7:17 a.m. | #

dg writes: Moved from other comments box.

My son used to live on the A6. And I used to work in an office on the A1. Do they count?

Timbo | 10.07.20 - 7:30 a.m. | #

I used to live on what was then the A374.
It had previously been the A38.
It is now unclassified.

I reckon a lot of people must live on the A38... Plymouth, Taunton, Bristol, Gloucester, Worcester, Birmingham, Derby... But not Exeter...

Colly | 10.07.20 - 7:39 a.m. | #

Until last year, I lived in a house on the A48. When I was growing up, a friend lived on the A2.

Ian | 10.07.20 - 7:44 a.m. | #

Not lived on an A road but have lived on a side street off the Archway Road (A1), about 1km from the Old Kent Road (A2) in Peckham and now live on a side street off the A3 in Kennington.

Kutgw | 10.07.20 - 7:46 a.m. | #

I used to live on the strange bit of the A40 in Cheltenham that was technically only the A40 in one direction with the A40 in the other direction being about 500m away. Both roads were bi-directional so I've no idea how it ended up like this!

Westerleigh Junction | 10.07.20 - 7:49 a.m. | #

I think the A4 also runs beyond Bristol to Avonmouth

Rich | 10.07.20 - 7:50 a.m. | #

Lived on the A10 (Great Cambridge Road) for many years. Changed from a moderately busy road to a near motorway. That's progress I suppose.

chicker | 10.07.20 - 7:53 a.m. | #

Previously lived on the rather less significant A1134. I'm now not far from the A1309, although that used to be the A10 until it seemingly was decided that it is unseemly to have the A10 actually pass through Cambridge (so it now has a gap between Trumpington & Milton).

For people that get excited by these things, Cambridge and it's environs has no less than three "out of zone" A-roads, with, for a bonus, each being from a different zone. Although all the A-Roads should be zone 1, we've got the A428, A505 and A603

Al__S | 10.07.20 - 8:09 a.m. | #

I live on a short road which runs between the A3 (Clapham Road) and A23 (Brixton Road), but not actually on either, dammit.

Hence the comment here rather than the other place.

Baldassaro | 10.07.20 - 8:12 a.m. | #

A long time ago I lived on the A47.

Malcolm | 10.07.20 - 8:17 a.m. | #

I lived on the A55 as a child. Then they built a bypass, and changed the road I lived on to be the A5104 instead.

Mike Scott | 10.07.20 - 8:19 a.m. | #

The A road system has largely been replaced by the motorway network, and many stretches of them , even low numbered ones, aren't that important any more. For example the A4 still goes through the centre of Marlborough

Geoffrey Hercock | 10.07.20 - 8:23 a.m. | #

I grew up on a housing estate wedged between the dual carriageway A1 on one side and the original route of the Great North Road on the other, but my front door didn’t open on to either and they weren’t in my postal address.

More recently, I have lived just off the route of Watling Street (formerly A5, but that bit is now the A5183), but again on a different road.

Andrew | 10.07.20 - 8:30 a.m. | #

I live on the C0266, which is definitely not an unclassified road. The local highway authorities classify the lower order of roads and country lanes, to assist in locating defects or structures. These roads are never signposted as such, but you can discover their identity, if you report a local pothole.

Below this C class road is the true Unclassified road.

Petras409 | 10.07.20 - 8:32 a.m. | #

30+ years ago I lived on the A447.

Now my nearest A road (the A30) is 11,945 miles away. Is that a record?

Betterbee | 10.07.20 - 8:36 a.m. | #

I live next to the A3

dg writes: I’m not sure ‘next to’ counts.

Cornish Monkey | 10.07.20 - 8:45 a.m. | #

I lived on the A6 whilst at university in Lancaster. Now I live just off the A270.

Mark | 10.07.20 - 8:59 a.m. | #

Betterbee - The only points on land that are 11,945 miles away from Land's End is are in New Zealand, and from there the shortest route to Land's End reaches the A roads of Scotland before it reaches the A30.

Elton | 10.07.20 - 9:11 a.m. | #

We live right on the N5. Correct road type (Route Nationale) wrong country.

Kevin | 10.07.20 - 9:18 a.m. | #

One of my close friends lives on the A1, the postal address is Archway Road and the house faces onto a dual carriageway. It's the run of terrace houses north of the Archway Bridge. Unsurprisingly, they use the back garden a lot. Although they are not a reader of this blog!

Anon | 10.07.20 - 9:31 a.m. | #

Lived on the A3 in Kennington for 11 years in one of the many flat conversions from old Georgian Houses. Didn't open the (large) windows much but they were really filthy whenever I cleaned them! Outside the rush hours traffic isn't actually too bad.

Phil | 10.07.20 - 9:31 a.m. | #

Elton, well spotted: you're absolutely right. I stuffed that up, the western end of A30 (or perhaps the A3110) actually being the remotest A road from me.

By my revised reckoning the closest is the A968, a mere 11,079 miles away.

Betterbee | 10.07.20 - 9:36 a.m. | #

I have lived on the A3 three times (two different places in Clapham and one in Stcokwell). But don't anymore.

I work on the A401

lockedintheattic | 10.07.20 - 9:45 a.m. | #

I wonder what A road has the MOST people living on it. A38 must be a contender. I guess it all depends on if they go through cities. A6 must be good.

The Banbury Man | Homepage | 10.07.20 - 9:50 a.m. | #

There are a few C road signs about (petras409) I have a photo of the one on Hayling island. Sending it to you now, DG ...

Geofftech | 10.07.20 - 9:56 a.m. | #

For roads smaller than B roads, local councils are responsible for them and most are categorised (depending on the council). You often see C, D and even U numbers on official descriptions of road works or enhancement projects.

What is the the highest numbered, least important road now? I would suggest the A4 as most of it stll exists but bypassed by the M4.

Jimbo | 10.07.20 - 10:00 a.m. | #

I've NEVER lived on a classified road!

At university my hall of residence was a stone's throw from the A1, but a miss is as good as a mile...

Mikey C | 10.07.20 - 10:04 a.m. | #

The Banbury Man, Both the A38 and A6 run through Derby & Derbyshire, the former is mainly dual carriageway throughout, skirts the city and tries to avoid houses, whereas the latter is mainly single carriageway and seems to seek out built up areas 😉

Kevin Too | 10.07.20 - 10:07 a.m. | #

I used to live on the A8, Paisley Road West section, withinin sight of the junction of the M8 & M77. It was just a tad noisey.

Chrome | 10.07.20 - 10:09 a.m. | #

I have lived on side streets directly off (and within "throw a cricket ball" distance) of the A1 and the A2. But I mercifully now live far enough off the A232 to miss out on the worst of the noise. My best record for remoteness was living a whopping 400m off the A24.

Given London's density of A-roads, I wonder if it's even possible to be over 1km from one inside of Zone 4 or so.

Chz | 10.07.20 - 10:20 a.m. | #

I used to live on the A2, Watling Street at Radlett.

Tim Binsted | 10.07.20 - 10:23 a.m. | #

I live on the A6.

Tom | 10.07.20 - 10:44 a.m. | #

I thought I lived on an A road even though it would originally have been a fairly quiet suburban street just 15 years ago, seeing as it has 2 bus routes and around 45 lorries thundering past my door every hour!

But I can't find it anywhere so I suppose it isn't!

Cornish Cockney | 10.07.20 - 10:46 a.m. | #

Al__S - I think the A428, A505 and A603 all take their numbers from the other ends - Coventry, Leighton Buzzard, and Bedford.

Tim Binsted: the A2 is in Kent. I think you mean the A5 in Radlett, although that is now the A5183.

Andrew | 10.07.20 - 11:03 a.m. | #

I grew up on the A312 and later lived on the A11 for a year.

Josh | 10.07.20 - 11:23 a.m. | #

There are some inconsistencies in the road numbering based on the wheeel and spoke roads leaving London that DG describes.

For instance roads in Kent north of the A2 should be A1xx shouldn't they? Roads that cross the spokes cause a problem especially with roads that do not radiate from London such as the A34 or A38. The A38 for instance could equally well be named A4x, A5x or A6x

dg writes: You haven't read the Michelin Guide extract in the middle of the post.

Martin | 10.07.20 - 11:28 a.m. | #

The A303 of course is a bit of an oddity in that it's the main road going west even though the A30 exists (which I guess historically was the more important road). I don't know why it never received a renumbering after being upgraded, but it's too late now because everyone knows it as the A303.

dg writes: backstory

Muzer | 10.07.20 - 11:33 a.m. | #

I sort of used to live on the A114 because the council and Royal Mail couldn't agree which road my building was on and the former assigned it to the main road until eventually a firm letter pointed out their error and they finally corrected it.

Tim Roll-Pickering | 10.07.20 - 11:52 a.m. | #

A couple of bits of Essex A Road trivia:

» Billy Bragg loved the A13 so much he wrote a song about it.
» The A282 between junctions 31 and 1 of the M25 ensures that the M25 is not a truly orbital motorway.

MO | 10.07.20 - 12:35 p.m. | #

My understanding is that the A282 exists because at the time they weren't allowed to put tolls on roads classified as a motorway

md | 10.07.20 - 1:32 p.m. | #

Those interested in the minutiae of road numbering (and details of changes over the last century) will enjoy this eight page Occasional Paper published by Graham Bird and John Mann of The Railway and Canal Historical Society (RCHS).

diamond geezer | Homepage | 10.07.20 - 2:29 p.m. | #

I used to live on:
A315 - King Street, Hammersmith
A406 - Bowes Road (North Circular)
A105 - Green Lanes

Greg S | 10.07.20 - 3:03 p.m. | #

I used to live on Finchley Road, which is the A41 between Swiss Cottage and Child's Hill.

Certainly a loud road to live on with all the coaches and lorries heading for the M1.

Alex | 10.07.20 - 3:24 p.m. | #

This page of Chris Broad's Roads website is all about C-Roads.

John Simmons | 10.07.20 - 4:07 p.m. | #

My parents lived on the short part of Cumbernauld Road (less than half a mile) where it's numbered A8, but sadly they moved to an unclassified road before I was born.

James C | 10.07.20 - 5:24 p.m. | #

At least part of the reason the A282 exists is so that non motorway traffic can use the Dartford Crossing. Not sure about the toll aspect.

MO | 10.07.20 - 5:27 p.m. | #

A4000 here, sadly back to non-stop jams after a couple of months of peace.

Mark Aston | 10.07.20 - 5:29 p.m. | #

Well worth reading is A,B,C and M - Road Numbering Revealed by Andrew Emmerson and Peter Bancroft (Capital History, ISBN 9781854144034).

Jack Kirby | Homepage | 10.07.20 - 6:37 p.m. | #

I grew up living on the A1 in Edinburgh, and the East Coast Main Line went along the side of our garden, much to my delight. The road is still there but no longer part of the A1.

Peter | 10.07.20 - 7:05 p.m. | #

Loads of us will live 'near' an A road - I live 200 yards from the A329 for instance (though to reach it by road is quite a bit further). Today on the train I passed under the M4, near the A4 and along the A329M. All pretty boring of course.

davews | 10.07.20 - 7:08 p.m. | #

The A9 hasn't started in Edinburgh for nearly 50 years since it got chopped by the 'new' runway at Edinburgh Airport. Nowadays it starts at J5 of the M9, south of Grangemouth.

Peter | 10.07.20 - 7:17 p.m. | #

Tim Binsted -- that was the A5, not the A2. I speak as a former St Albans resident!

James Webber | 10.07.20 - 7:54 p.m. | #

The Dartford Tunnel's original purpose was simply a downstream crossing of the Thames linking Kent with Essex. It long predates the M25. The section of the latter through Essex wasn't completed until nearly 20 yeas after the first tunnel. The reason the crossing has remained an A road is to allow vehicles prohibited from travelling on a motorway to continue to use the crossing between Dartford and Thurrock. Had that not been done it would have to undergo a major detour via the Blackwall Tunnel or the Woolwich Ferry (as was the case before the first tunnel opened).

For those interested in road numbering (and much more besides) these websites may be of interest: sabre-roads.org.uk and roads.org.uk

Tony Soprano | 10.07.20 - 8:20 p.m. | #

The only A road I have lived on is the A215, although I have had three office addresses on the A40, all within a mile of each other.

Lincoln also has three out-of-zone roads from different Zones: A46, A57, A607.

timbo | 10.07.20 - 9:01 p.m. | #

Morrisons shopping deliveries to very rural areas can reveal interesting things about road numbers.

Blue Witch | Homepage | 11.07.20 - 1:23 a.m. | #

I lived on the A5 in the 1990s, and used to rather enjoy my address being "Watling Street".

Klepsie | 11.07.20 - 1:36 a.m. | #

A long time ago I lived on the A2 New Cross Road between the bus garage and New Cross Gate station.

The A14 has never at any time actually reached Rugby.
Its extension to the west of the A1 terminates at Catthorpe Interchange where it meets the M1/M6.
That is in Zone 5, east of the A5. Rugby is west of it in Zone 4.

Tony Soprano | 11.07.20 - 1:53 a.m. | #

Inspired by DG's comment elsewhere, I enjoyed looking up E Roads partly existing in this neck of the woods. I wonder if any of our parts of the E Roads coincide with parts of roads where people live, and if readers here live on them.

Chris | 11.07.20 - 3:28 a.m. | #

Geofftech. Clearly, I stand corrected. Roads.org.uk has illustrations of many exceptions to the rule. Thanks for the link, Tony Soprano.

Petras409 | 11.07.20 - 7:36 a.m. | #

That's a competition I'm happy to not feature in.

But I live on 13 rail tracks (count could go up to 17, 19 or even 29 depending on rule strictness).

I guess that's equally rare.

commonliner | 11.07.20 - 11:58 a.m. | #

I'm always surprised how many relatively 'small' roads are A roads. I used to live on the A4204, but I only just found out it was an A road.
I'm now about 30m from the A103 and again, it feels minor to me. It's even designated a 'Lane' - not even a road.
I'm fascinated about the murky depths of of road numbering now but am wary about clicking on any link - no time to go down that particular rabbit hole!

EskimoPie | 11.07.20 - 2:43 p.m. | #

My council internally numbers every single one of its roads, so my residential cul-de-sac is a D-road into 5 digits.

Gregg | 11.07.20 - 5:43 p.m. | #

DG I beg to differ about next to not counting. Unless one is a small animal nobody can actually live on a road.

dg writes: I said I wasn't sure... insufficient evidence. But you know whether your postal address is the A3 or not.

Cornish Monkey | 12.07.20 - 11:35 a.m. | #











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