Great Britain road numbering scheme

In Great Britain, roads are given a letter with 1–4 numbers after it. This is how they are named. The letter is the category of the road. There are two main types of categories: motorways (with the letter M) and non-motorways. There are two types of non-motorways: A roads (with the letter A) and B roads (with the letter B). A roads are more important than B roads. There are also a very small number of C roads.

The numbering zones for A & B roads in Great Britain

This system only applies to the island of Great Britain. Northern Ireland and other islands have their own systems.

Motorways (M roads)
See the main article: List of motorways in the United Kingdom

A roads

Single-digit A roads

In England and Wales, the six A roads with one number are most important roads coming out of London. Starting with the A1 which goes north, numbers go clockwise around London:[1]

  • A1 – London to Edinburgh (also known as the Great North Road)
  • A2 – London to Dover (the southern part of Watling Street, also known as the Dover Road; though the A2 past Rochester has been replaced by the M2)
  • A3 – London to Portsmouth (also known as the Portsmouth Road)
  • A4 – London to Avonmouth (also known as the Great West Road or the Bath Road; though this route is not used anymore to travel far since the M4 was built)
  • A5 – London to Holyhead (the Northern part of Watling Street)
  • A6 – Luton to Carlisle (the A6 first started in Barnet on the old A1)

In Scotland, important roads from Edinburgh have A roads with one number:

  • A7 – Edinburgh to Carlisle (though the M74 and M8 motorways now are mainly used)
  • A8 – Edinburgh to Greenock (used to link Edinburgh to Glasgow, but it now ends and carries on as the M8 25 miles (40 km) away from Glasgow)
  • A9 – Falkirk to Scrabster (first went from Edinburgh to Inverness)

Other A roads
  • Zone 1 A roads
  • Zone 2 A roads
  • Zone 3 A roads
  • Zone 4 A roads
  • Zone 5 A roads
  • Zone 6 A roads
  • Zone 7 A roads
  • Zone 8 A roads
  • Zone 9 A roads

B roads
C road sign in Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire. There are not many C roads.
  • Zone 1 B roads
  • Zone 2 B roads
  • Zone 3 B roads
  • Zone 4 B roads
  • Zone 5 B roads
  • Zone 6 B roads
  • Zone 7 B roads
  • Zone 8 B roads
  • Zone 9 B roads

References
  1. "Road Numbering". The Vauxhall Motorist. Vauxhall Motors. January 1935. Archived from the original on 2008-07-20. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
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