please empty your brain below
In case you haven't spotted them in the post, here are the map links:
• Elgin Road
• Hillcrest Road
• Higher Drive

diamond geezer | Homepage | 21.11.22 - 7:46 a.m. | #

You mean to say you didn’t have a photo of Hillcrest Road in your photo library already? ;-)

Southern Heights (Light Railway) | 21.11.22 - 7:46 a.m. | #

I think that these are all going to be near the top end nationally, too-- the longest Victorian/Edwardian road of the Elgin type in I can find in Plymouth, eg is 255m, and our longest inter-war street (with copious footpaths) is c. 670.

Jameson | 21.11.22 - 8:27 a.m. | #

Candidate for the least interesting comment:

I used to have an uncle who lived in Felstead Road. I was never invited to visit his house.

The end.

Petras409 | 21.11.22 - 8:34 a.m. | #

1.42km - Dan Mason Drive, following the curve of the river at Duke Meadows, Chiswick.
(My rule: if the junction is with an un-named road, that's a driveway, not a junction
My 2nd rule: doesn't say it has to be inhabited)

martin'O'Holcombe | 21.11.22 - 8:39 a.m. | #

What definition of road are you using, does it have to be lined with properties, do you need a pavement, must it be capable of cars passing in opposite directions, do dual carriageways count, what about tunnels and flyovers, does the entrance to a yard count as a junction if it doesn't break the continuation of the pavement.

Still Anon | 21.11.22 - 8:42 a.m. | #

At one point it might have been the M41 West cross route. Or maybe the western bore of the Blackwall tunnel.

Ian | 21.11.22 - 8:44 a.m. | #

oooh, 2.79km: Broomfield Hill, Richmond Park

martin'O'Holcombe | 21.11.22 - 8:54 a.m. | #

Just noting, Elgin Road doesn't even have those little back garden access roads that are so common in suburbia. It looks like any extension construction or home landscaping has to go through the house for most occupants.

Putters | 21.11.22 - 8:57 a.m. | #

Great post! I remember reading once the longest such road was Sackville Street, but that must have been central London only

MB | 21.11.22 - 9:08 a.m. | #

I was really surprised at this post as I didn't think 700m was exceptional. We have lots in Purley that are quite long. Near my house is Downlands Road which I reckon by Google maps is 785m. It has alleyways (public footpaths) off it but no road.

Pedantic of Purley | 21.11.22 - 9:15 a.m. | #

Brilliant question and post. I guess sitting in your car or even doing engine changes in Elgin Road is a bit like gardening in the old days when every front door was surrounded by colourful flowers and shrubs and walls. I would love to see a photo of the street in pre-double glazing, mass car ownership times. It must have looked a treat.

felix | 21.11.22 - 9:21 a.m. | #

A possible contender, depending on the criteria, is Harrow Drive, Hornchurch (RM11) which is somewhere round the 800m mark (although it feels longer when you are actually walking it) and has no intermediate road junctions - but is bisected by a footpath.

Carllo | 21.11.22 - 9:24 a.m. | #

Broomfield Hill in Richmond Park is an interesting suggestion, but I would disallow it as it isn't a public highway open for use at all times. It is closed between sunset and sunrise . "Park Roads" aren't regulated by various Highways Acts and Road Traffic Acts but by The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Regulations 1997

Boneyboy | 21.11.22 - 10:15 a.m. | #

Mr grumpy monkey puzzle tree owner does seem overconcerned about his privacy. Hard to see how taking a photo would do any harm; if you were scoping the place out for a burglary you'd probably be able to remember anything you needed to know anyway.

Andrew S | 21.11.22 - 10:21 a.m. | #

Re. Mister Grumpy owner - He couldn't stop you taking a photo anyway. It's a public road. You're perfectly legally allowed to take a photo of his tree (or his house) without needing his permission.

Agent X | 21.11.22 - 10:40 a.m. | #

(I’d recommend not passing judgement on something you didn’t see, and which I sketched in half a sentence)

diamond geezer | Homepage | 21.11.22 - 10:43 a.m. | #

Felix, scroll down here.

miker | 21.11.22 - 11:39 a.m. | #

Lovely link Miker. So the front gardens used to be full of trees. Bit of a loss there.

Philip Downer | 21.11.22 - 11:49 a.m. | #

Historic photos of Elgin Road show neat front gardens with regular garden walls. For example, c.1904.

Andrew | 21.11.22 - 11:49 a.m. | #

yeah, I think 'residential road' is a key point here - not a long widening country lane without any junctions!
Fascinating stuff, and I hope the reader is surprised to see their question answered!

James Scantlebury | 21.11.22 - 11:58 a.m. | #

Wickham Chase, BR4 seems to be around 800m but might just be beaten by Hillcrest Road.

dg writes: Wickham Chase looks less promising if you zoom in.

Paul | 21.11.22 - 12:56 p.m. | #

Greenfield Gardens in Hendon has to run all of these pretty close, if not thrash them. As a comparison, it is the equivalent in length of a full traffic light section of the A41.

dg writes: 590m

Billo | 21.11.22 - 2:21 p.m. | #

For many years - but no more - I walked the length of Higher Drive annually delivering charity donation envelopes without realising how nearly famous it is. As you say, there are houses in the little blob at the end, but there are no front gates on the short stretch of the road from the entrance to the blob to the junction with Banstead Road. Still, I accept that that disqualifies it.

Peter | 21.11.22 - 2:36 p.m. | #

Wickham Chase according to Google Maps is over 1km. That seems about right. It is very long. I can't believe I didn't think of this one. I used to walk along part of it to get to primary school and then junior school. In those days you walked (unaccompanied) from about the age of seven although I stopped at a friend's house and we walked the last part together.

I know it looks like there are lots of roads off it but I am pretty sure these are still just alleyways to get to the rear of properties - not roads.

It also has a couple of footpaths - exceptionally wide ones, one of which also formed part of my school journey.

Pedantic of Purley | 21.11.22 - 4:48 p.m. | #

That is some properly overzealous cartography for Wickham Chase (1.1km). And if that's junctionless, so is parallel Langley Way (940m).

They do look legit contenders for the 'longest unbroken road (with footpaths)' title.

(gah, I included Wickham Chase in my response to the original 2020 email, but disregarded it this time because of those pesky maps)

diamond geezer | Homepage | 21.11.22 - 5:11 p.m. | #

Does Ditches Lane, Croydon (3.38km) qualify?

The southern 5% narrowly escapes Greater London and the junctions at each end are a little messy, but the houses in the middle must be some of the most isolated in London!

Ally | 22.11.22 - 4:10 p.m. | #

Technically – *adjusts glasses* – I think the M25 junction 24 to 25 is in London?

If so, I don't advise a field trip to visit it. Not much to look at!

h2g2bob | 22.11.22 - 10:49 p.m. | #

But the M25 isn't an unbroken road with junctions only at each end and none inbetween.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 22.11.22 - 11:38 p.m. | #

Looking via Google Maps Streetview reveals that at least one of the 'junctions' on Wickham Chace is just an unpaved track that probable led to garages which were stuffed down there. Hemel Hempstead used to have lots of similar garage closes at the back of housing, but almost are now gone due to owners being unwilling to leave their vehicles out of sight and a target for vandalism, hence nowadays front gardens are paved over. And the overhead view reveals that the tracks just lead to garden sheds.

dirigible | 23.11.22 - 12:39 p.m. | #











TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy