 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Major junctions | |
| From | Bristol |
| Major intersections | A4 A4175 A4174 A420 |
| To | Bath |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Road network | |
TheA431 is anA road running fromBristol toBath inEngland. It runs parallel to, and about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the north of, theA4, the principal route between Bristol and Bath on the south side of theRiver Avon.
The A431 begins at a junction with theA420 road toChippenham atSt George, about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of central Bristol. From there it runs throughHanham,Longwell Green,Bitton andKelston.[1] It passes around the edge ofKelston Round Hill, and past the estate ofSir John Hawkins[2] toNewbridge, Bath, where it joins theA4 which continues to central Bath. Some of the road runs on the alignment of aRoman road between Bristol and Bath.[1]
What is now the A431 was the upper turnpike between Bristol and Bath, north of the River Avon (the lower turnpike, south of the Avon, being theA4). Both roads wereturnpiked by the Bath Trust in 1707. The Bristol Trust attempted to turnpike the western half of the upper road, but faced opposition from colliers atKingswood, and it was not fully completed until the 1740s.[3] By the 19th century, the Upper Bristol Road to Kelston was described as a "pleasing and nearly level ride".[2]
When roads were first numbered in 1923, the A431 formed the full extent of the upper Bristol – Bath turnpike as far as the old Post Office at the corner of George Street andMilsom Street. In 1935, theMinistry of Transport rerouted the A4 along this route towards Bristol andAvonmouth, curtailing the A431 to its current eastern point at Newbridge.[4]
In February 2014 the road was closed nearKelston Park due to a landslip.[5] The closure lasted until 17 November 2014 as the ground continued to move.[6][7]
Deeper pilings were found necessary as the works progressed, taking total repair costs to about £2 million.[8][9][10]
Local entrepreneur Mike Watts created a privatetoll road over agricultural land to bypass the closed section, which opened in August 2014.[11][12]
Citations
Sources
51°25′24″N2°27′20″W / 51.42332°N 2.45553°W /51.42332; -2.45553
