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|---|---|---|---|---|
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 A166 entering Garton on the Wolds from the east | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 24.72 mi (39.78 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end | Grimston Bar | |||
| Major intersections |  A64 A614 | |||
| East end | A614 | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Primary destinations | York Driffield | |||
| Road network | ||||
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TheA166 road is a trunk road between the outskirts ofYork andDriffield in the historic county ofYorkshire. The road used to terminate at the seaside town ofBridlington, until the opening of the Driffield by-pass caused the final section to be renumbered as theA614.
The A166 follows the path of an oldRoman road from York toStamford Bridge, where it forded the river at the place where the modernStamford Bridge is located.[1] The bridge is mentioned in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle about theBattle 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 ofscheduled monuments that lay alongside the A166, most notably in the area ofGarrowby 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 theEast 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 toBeverley 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, inWetwang was the location for the third and final intermediate sprint, which was won byThomas De Gendt of Belgium, during that year'sTour of Britain Stage 1 fromScunthorpe toYork.[16]
The road starts as an exit on the Grimston Bar interchange on theA64 on the outskirts of York. It heads north east pass the turnings forMurton,Dunnington and Holtby within the first couple of miles. The first settlement that lies upon the road isGate Helmsley. From here the road gradually turns in an easterly direction until it is required to cross theRiver Derwent atStamford 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 ofButtercrambe andScrayingham at which point it turns easterly again. This is closely followed by a staggered junction further on with an exit south towardsFull Sutton and north toSkirpenbeck. There are also turnings soon after to the south forYoulthorpe and north toBugthorpe.
Just south of the hamlet ofGarrowby the road takes a sharp turn south and then back east at the foot of Garrowby Hill. The hill is the highest point on theYorkshire Wolds and was the subject of apainting[17] byDavid 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 towardBishop 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 toGreat Givendale andPocklington to the south andThixendale 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 throughFridaythorpe. On exiting the village, it meets theB1251 road to Bridlington, which is designated as aScenic Route. Travelling in an easterly direction, the road follows an ancientgreen lane until it reaches the village ofWetwang. Either side of the village the road intersects theB1248Beverley toMalton road. The road continues toGarton-on-the-Wolds, where it is met by theB1251 heading north west toSledmere. From here it turns south east to its junction with theA614 Driffield By-pass.
Only junctions with classified designations are included in the table below.
| A166 Road | |||
| Northbound* exits | Junction | Southbound* exits | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grimston Bar JunctionA64 (road) | Grimston Bar Roundabout  | Start of road | 53°57′28″N1°00′41″W / 53.95778°N 1.01139°W /53.95778; -1.01139 |
| Fimber,Sledmere,B1251 | .svg) | 54°01′12.4″N0°39′45.6″W / 54.020111°N 0.662667°W /54.020111; -0.662667 | |
| North Grimston,Malton,B1248 | .svg) | Tibthorpe,Bainton,Lund,BeverleyB1248 | 54°01′07.2″N0°35′35.5″W / 54.018667°N 0.593194°W /54.018667; -0.593194 Northbound 54°01′10.0″N0°34′25.7″W / 54.019444°N 0.573806°W /54.019444; -0.573806 Southbound |
| Sledmere,B1252 | | 54°01′27.8″N0°30′42.6″W / 54.024389°N 0.511833°W /54.024389; -0.511833 | |
| A614 road toBridlington | York Road Roundabout | A614 road toGoole York Road,Driffield, End of road | 54°00′31.7″N0°27′13.1″W / 54.008806°N 0.453639°W /54.008806; -0.453639 |
