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|---|---|
 The A686 looking east below Hartside | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by | |
| Length | 36.5 mi[1] (58.7 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | Penrith 54°39′19″N2°44′32″W / 54.6554°N 2.7423°W /54.6554; -2.7423 (A686 road (southwestern end)) |
| Major intersections |  A66 A6 A689 A69 |
| North end | Haydon Bridge 54°58′23″N2°14′10″W / 54.9730°N 2.2361°W /54.9730; -2.2361 (A686 road (northeastern end)) |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Towns | Alston |
| Villages | |
| Road network | |
TheA686 is a road inNorthern England. It runs fromPenrith inCumbria toHaydon Bridge inNorthumberland.AA Magazine named the A686 as one of their "Ten Great Drives"[2] owing to the dramatic scenery of theNorth Pennines hills encountered along its route. Travel journalistPhil Llewellin said:
England’s great wilderness sprawls across the northern Pennines, where the mountains have fascinating names such as Fiend’s Fell and Wildboar Fell. Penrith merits a visit after leaving the M6, and memories of the motorway fade as the A686 crosses the River Eden valley. The mood changes dramatically inMelmerby, where the road starts its long climb to the cafe at Hartside, 1,900 feet (580 m) above sea level, with stunning views across theSolway Firth and Scotland.The road leads toAlston, which claims to be England’s highest market town, a charming little place with cobbled streets and quaint buildings. The A686 beyond Alston crosses another breathtaking expanse of windswept upland before running down to theRiver Allen's beautiful wooded gorge.
— Phil Llewellin, via Visit Cumbria[2]
The A686 begins at aroundabout with theA66 road andA6 road on the edge ofPenrith,Cumbria, though it originally started in nearbyCarleton at a crossroads with the former route of the A66. The road heads in a north-easterly direction crossing theRiver Eden before going through the village ofLangwathby. It continues throughMelmerby and across thePennines before reaching the isolated market town ofAlston.
It meets theA689 road (toBrampton andBishop Auckland) and then crosses the border intoNorthumberland. It continues past the villages ofNinebanks,Bearsbridge andWhitfield. It meets the B6305 road toHexham, and 3.1 miles (5.0 km) later terminates at its junction with theA69 road just east of Haydon Bridge.
Unfortunately, England's highest Cafe[3] experienced a severe fire back in 2018[4] and has since been entirely demolished. There is widespread demand for a re-construction project[5] to take place at this iconic motoring viewpoint, yet plans are yet to get off the ground. Overlooking Cumbria'sEden Valley, with a 20-mile view NW to theSolway Firth on a clear day, this Cafe was once an iconic stopping off point for those travelling across the North Pennines. The view is still spectacular, and motorists still often take a break at the car park.
During the deep winter, heavy snow and black ice often makes the high points of the A686 treacherous. After heavy snow, the road may be closed.[6]
During poor weather conditions the A686 was often closed on Hartside and the preferred route into the rest of Cumbria was along the A689 towards Brampton.
Download coordinates as:
A roads in Zone 6 of theGreat Britain road numbering scheme | ||
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54°48′01″N2°27′10″W / 54.8004°N 2.4529°W /54.8004; -2.4529 (A686 road)