41-614: The A470 (also named the Cardiff to Glan Conwy Trunk Road ) is a trunk road in Wales . It is the country's longest road at 186 miles (299 km) and links the capital Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. While previously one had to navigate the narrow roads of Llanidloes and Dolgellau , both these market towns are now bypassed due to extensive road modernisation. The 26 miles (42 km) from Cardiff Bay to Merthyr Tydfil are mainly dual carriageway , but most of
82-524: A " T ". Connecting roads were classified as 'link roads", and had route numbers prefixed by an " L ". Many of these roads had their origins in historic routes , including turnpike roads . Although a number of old road signs using these route designations may still be encountered, Ireland has adopted a newer classification scheme of national primary and national secondary routes ("N" roads), regional roads , and local roads . "N" roads remain equivalent to trunk roads in that they are planned and managed at
123-517: A full network map of trunk roads and motorways in England. Most interurban trunk roads are primary routes , the category of roads recommended for long distance and freight transport. Not all primary routes are trunk roads, the difference being that maintenance of trunk roads is paid for by national government bodies rather than the local councils in whose area they lie. Primary routes are identified by their direction signs, which feature white text on
164-630: A green background with route numbers in yellow. Trunk roads, like other "A" roads, can be either single- or dual-carriageway. Historically, trunk roads were listed on maps with a "T" in brackets after their number, to distinguish them from non-trunk parts of the same road, however this suffix is no longer included on current Ordnance Survey maps, which simply distinguish between primary and non-primary "A" roads. A trunk road which has been upgraded to motorway standards may retain its original "A" number, but with an "M" in brackets to denote that motorway regulations apply on it. Long distance examples of this are
205-573: A monastery until the late 13th century. The church is thought to date from around AD 520. It was initially a clas structure . Its tower has a pyramidal slate roof over a timber belfry , dating from the 13th century. It is recorded as Ecclesia de Landinam in the Norwich Taxation of 1254 with a value of £1 6s 8d. The majority of the church was rebuilt in the 19th century, a restoration undertaken by George Edmund Street . The church still retains some original features, however, most notably
246-597: A plan of the route being detrunked. The routes to be detrunked (as set out in detrunking orders) are not always linear sections, but can be split into multiple sections, and span multiple counties. In England, the government has de-trunked much of the trunk road network since the late 1990s, transferring responsibility to local councils to allow National Highways to concentrate on a selection of core trunk routes, mostly dual carriageways and motorways. The most important roads in Sweden are labelled "national trunk road". In 1982,
287-500: A right turn outside the village takes the road past Llanidloes and through Llandinam , the birthplace of David Davies and now the headquarters of Girl Guides Wales . Another anomalous left turn at a level crossing sets the path for Caersws , Carno and Llanbrynmair . Just beyond the village of Talerddig the road descends and crosses under the Shrewsbury–Aberystwyth railway line . The long descent towards Commins Coch
328-1183: A separate system of highway and road traffic law. At that time, 4,500 miles (7,200 km) of British roads were classified as trunk roads. Additional roads have been "trunked", notably in the Trunk Roads Act 1946 ( 9 & 10 Geo. 6 . c. 30). Others, like virtually all British motorways, have entered the system as a result of new construction. As of 2004, Great Britain had 7,845 mi (12,625 km) of trunk roads, of which 2,161 mi (3,478 km) were motorways. Since 1994, trunk roads in England have been managed by National Highways (formerly Highways England, and before that, Highways Agency), while Scotland has had responsibility for its own trunk roads since 1998 ; these are currently managed by Transport Scotland , created in 2006. The Welsh Government has had responsibility for trunk roads in Wales since its establishment in 1998 . England has 4,300 miles (6,900 km), Scotland has 1,982 miles (3,190 km) and Wales has 1,048 miles (1,687 km) of trunk roads, inclusive of motorways. National Highways publishes
369-632: A sharp left turn is required to stay on the road. From this point on the road becomes narrow and twisting and overtaking is problematic except at a few straight sections. Another sharp left turn at a stop sign in Llyswen takes the road alongside the River Wye into Builth Wells . The road continues to follow the Wye to the busy crossroads where it meets the A44 in the centre of Rhayader . On reaching Llangurig ,
410-602: A special, slightly larger budget. However, they are not signed in any special way. Therefore, there is no difference in signage, numbering, road standard or map marking from other national roads. Some national roads are only considered trunk for part of their length. National Roads 73 and 75 are both built to motorway standard and have high traffic, but are not considered trunk. European routes are always trunk in Sweden, and are more visible with special numbering. In Ireland, major roads were previously classified under an old system as "trunk roads", and had route numbers prefixed by
451-475: Is a relatively new stretch of road that replaced a set of road-works that had traffic light controlled single lane working for over 10 years because of unstable ground conditions. The river bridge at Commins Coch is so narrow and set at such an angle that only one vehicle at a time can pass. At Cemmaes Road the road joins the A487 at a roundabout. A right turn at the roundabout takes the road on to Mallwyd where
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#1732773300281492-523: Is a village and community in Montgomeryshire , Powys , central Wales , between Newtown and Llanidloes , located on the A470 . As a community, Llandinam is made up of the village itself, small hamlets including Plas Dinam and Little London and several farms. The village itself has a population of around 576 with 56% born in Wales. Llandinam was the family home of David Davies (1818–1890) who
533-599: Is in the Church in Wales parish of Bro Arwystli. It has its own Facebook page, which features photographs of some of its architectural features. The bridge from the main road over towards Broneirion was the first cast iron bridge constructed in the county, designed by Thomas Penson and built by Davies 1846. It spans 90 feet (27.5 m). At the east end of the bridge there is a statue of David Davies. The house that David Davies built, Broneirion , remains an elegant country mansion owned by Girlguiding Cymru . Plâs Dinam
574-715: Is sometimes used more generically to refer to other categories of major highway. In the United Kingdom, trunk roads were first defined for Great Britain in the Trunk Roads Act 1936 ( 1 Edw. 8. & 1 Geo. 6 . c. 5). Thirty major roads were classed as trunk roads, and the Minister of Transport took direct control of them and the bridges across them. The Trunk Roads Act came into force in England and Wales on 1 April 1937, and in Scotland on 16 May 1937. This development did not extend to Northern Ireland , which has always had
615-557: The 2022 local election the Llandinam ward became 'Llandinam and Dolfor', following the merger with part of the neighbouring Kerry community. It continued to be represented by one county councillor. St Llonio's Church is located north of the village, on a spur of land jutting into the Severn Valley , and within a fortified promontory fort . It was originally the mother church of those at Llanidloes and Llanwnnog , serving
656-622: The A1(M) in England, and the A74(M) in Scotland. It is possible for roads to be "de-trunked" – for example, when superseded by a motorway following a similar route – in which case they normally become ordinary "A" roads . When a road is de-trunked, signposts are often replaced, and sometimes route numbers are changed, making the original route of the road harder to follow. Roads are formally and legally detrunked by statutory instruments named 'Detrunking (or sometimes De-Trunking ) Orders' which include
697-565: The A458 joins at yet another roundabout. The country becomes more forested and the road climbs up through Dinas Mawddwy and then steeply up the eastern foot-hills of Cadair Idris before dropping down to the Dolgellau by-pass. More sharp twists and turns in the forestry and through the village of Ganllwyd brings the road up onto the high plateau of the Cambrian dome where the road follows
738-748: The A472 from Ystrad Mynach and Pontypool finally the A4054 from Quakers Yard , and Merthyr Tydfil . From Quakers Yard roundabout (locally known as "Fiddlers Elbow"), 5.5 miles (8.9 km) of dual carriageway takes the road to the Pentrebach roundabout where the A4060 links, and then to the Merthyr Tydfil roundabout where the road meets the A465 and the dual carriageway ends. A twisting section alongside
779-620: The A547 . This list is for the section between Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil. The modern route of the A470 arose from a campaign in the 1970s by the Western Mail for a single route connecting North and South Wales, in the lead up to the 1979 Welsh devolution referendum . It was successful, and in 1978, the Welsh Office discussed a potential course of the road roughly through the centre of
820-602: The M4 at the giant Coryton roundabout. For the next 15 miles (24 km) it is a modern high-speed dual carriageway by-passing Tongwynlais and Castell Coch , Taff's Well , to Pontypridd . Heading north to Abercynon , the road now follows the route of the Taff Vale Railways Llancaiach Branch to Quakers Yard roundabout, where it is joined by the A4059 from Abercynon , Aberdare and Hirwaun ;
861-624: The Taf Fawr reservoirs of Llwyn-on , Cantref and Beacons takes the road to its highest point at Storey Arms on the pass over the Brecon Beacons before a long descent to Brecon . The remainder of the route north of Brecon consists of older routes now renamed "A470". This artificiality is apparent as a driver following the entire route north to south must diverge from the main line of respective stretches of road no fewer than five times. A short three lane stretch heads north east before
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#1732773300281902-710: The national highways and expressways in India . The term "trunk road" sometimes appears in the names of specific routes, most famously the Grand Trunk Road . In Canada, core national routes are part of the National Highway System , which receive some funding and strategic planning from the federal government, but are managed by the provinces. In China, major national roads are part of China National Highways and Expressways of China . Llandinam Llandinam ( Welsh pronunciation )
943-639: The national roads network in Poland are similar models of nationally planned and managed major highways. In the United States, the U.S. Highway and Interstate Highway systems fulfil a similar role to trunk roads. However, individual states are responsible for actual highway construction and maintenance, even though the federal government helps fund these activities. The states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin designate their highways as "state trunklines" or "(state) trunk highways". In India they are
984-628: The A40 west of Crickhowell to the A44 road at Rhayader . The A479 now runs only from Crickhowell to Llyswen. The stretch from Rhayader to Llangurig was the A44. Officially, this is now part of the A470, but some local signage shows A44/A470. From Llangurig to Moat Lane (east of Caersws ), it was once part of the A492, which originally ran from Llangurig to Newtown . The section Moat Lane to Newtown has since been renumbered A489, and from Moat Lane to Glantwymyn
1025-664: The A470 just before Waterloo Bridge . Passing down the valley of the River Conwy the road passes through Llanrwst , Tal-y-Cafn and Glan Conwy , at which point there is a dual roundabout that intersects with the A55 North Wales Expressway before descending into Llandudno . The northernmost point of the route is in Llandudno itself at the sea front, where it meets the North Shore Parade,
1066-625: The A470 previously ran along the parallel Bute Street ), and continues along St. Mary Street in central Cardiff . The road then becomes North Road, and after a tidal flow system running to Maindy and then goes over the flyover at the Gabalfa interchange of the A48 and the A469 . It becomes an urban dual-carriageway along Manor Way, with a 30 mph (48 km/h) speed limit and with many traffic-signalled crossings. It passes without interruption under
1107-692: The A470 replaced the A489 which ran all the way from Machynlleth to the A49 road north of Craven Arms in south Shropshire . Now the A489 designation applies to two roads separated by 17 miles (27 km) of the A470. The stretch between Glantwymyn to Mallwyd was called the A4084. Originally starting at the Cross Foxes near Dolgellau the A458 now runs only from Mallwyd to Shrewsbury . It now starts at Mallwyd with
1148-535: The Dolgellau – Blaenau Ffestiniog coast road. In 2014, Cerys Matthews presented a documentary on the A470 on BBC Radio 4 , journeying from the north of the country to Cardiff Bay. The programme described the road as "the M1 motorway of Wales", despite most of the road being rural single-carriageway, with Matthews stopping off at places like Llanrwst and Rhayader. In March 2022, Arachne Press published A470: Poems for
1189-608: The Mallwyd to Cross Foxes section being the A470. Cross Foxes to near Gellilydan (in the Meirionydd part of Gwynedd south of Ffestiniog ) brings us to a complicated series of route renumbering. This stretch was originally the A487 which ran through Dolgellau town centre. The modern A470 bypasses the town using the line of the old Ruabon – Morfa Mawddach railway . Gellilydan via Llan Ffestiniog to Blaenau Ffestiniog (Congl-y-Wal)
1230-646: The Road / Cerddi’r Ffordd , a bilingual English and Welsh book of poems about the A470, edited by Siân Northey and Ness Owen. Published on St. David's Day , by June of that year it had its second reprint. Other references in Welsh popular culture include: Trunk road A trunk road is a major highway with a specific legal classification in some jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom , Sweden and formerly Ireland . Trunk roads are planned and managed at
1271-507: The ancient track of Sarn Helen Roman road passing the redundant nuclear power station at Trawsfynydd . A right turn beyond the power station takes the road on to Ffestiniog and Blaenau Ffestiniog before heading over the Crimea Pass to Dolwyddelan . A sharp left turn interrupts the A470 as it becomes the A5 for a short distance towards Betws-y-Coed before turning right again back onto
A470 road - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-563: The country, which was implemented the following year. The route from Cardiff to Brecon was the original A470. It originally ran into Brecon town centre and joined the A40 road . The old A470 between the by-pass and the town, along Newgate Street, is now the B4601. A4062 was the number for the section from the junction of the A40 and the B4601 – the Brecon (eastern) bypass to B4602 section. The B4601
1353-570: The national level by the National Roads Authority . Some former trunk roads, or sections of former trunk roads, became non-trunk regional roads under the new road numbering system introduced in the 1970s and 1980s. More recently, sections of former national primary routes which have been bypassed by motorways or other road improvement schemes have been downgraded to regional road status. The route nationale system in France and
1394-417: The national-level, distinguishing them from non-trunk roads which are managed by local authorities. Trunk roads are important routes usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports and other places, which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic . Many trunk roads have segregated lanes in a dual carriageway , or are of motorway standard. The term trunk road, or trunk highway ,
1435-418: The northern wall of the chancel. During the restoration, new windows were installed in a neo-Gothic style . The churchyard contains a number of old trees, principally oaks and yews , including one of the latter which is claimed to be around 800 years old. The churchyard contains the war graves of three Royal Welsh Fusiliers soldiers of World War I . The church, which is a Grade II listed building ,
1476-493: The parliament decided upon which roads were to become national trunk roads. They are considered recommended main roads for long-distance traffic. They were also supposed to be used for movement and transport of heavy military vehicles, ordnance and logistics and during wartime were to be guarded and defended at all odds. National trunk roads are planned and managed by the national Swedish Transport Administration , as opposed to other roads, which are planned locally. They also have
1517-534: The route from north of Merthyr to Llandudno is single carriageway . The road travels through two of the national parks of Wales : the Brecon Beacons , and Snowdonia National Park starting just south of Dinas Mawddwy . The southernmost point of the route is in Cardiff Bay , outside the Wales Millennium Centre . It runs up Lloyd George Avenue (this was previously Collingdon Road, and
1558-508: Was evacuated here for the duration of World War II . The village was previously served by Llandinam railway station on the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway . An electoral ward in the same name existed, which also covered the neighbouring community of Mochdre . The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 1,405. It elected its first Conservative County Councillor in May 2017. From
1599-621: Was not originally allocated a number. The section from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Betws-y-Coed was the B4407, and from there to Llandudno was the A544. By 1946, the A496 had become extended to Llandudno. The section of road from Glan Conwy corner to Llandudno is a new well aligned direct route to Llandudno. The old A496 has been renumbered A547 between Glan Conwy and Llandudno Junction and A546 between Llandudno Junction and Llandudno. The A496 now numbers only
1640-578: Was originally the A40 which ran through the town of Brecon. Similarly, the B4602 was originally the westernmost part of the A438. The A438 was the original number for the road from the junction with B4602 to the sharp left turn where A470 turns north in the vicinity of Llanfilo . The A438 continues on from there to Hereford and Tewkesbury . From north of Llanfilo to Llyswen was the A4073. A479 originally linked
1681-496: Was responsible for much of the development of the South Wales Valleys and the export of coal in the 19th century. His grandson David Davies, 1st Baron Davies FRGS (1880–1944) became MP for Montgomeryshire from 1906 to 1929. The parents of Murray Humphreys (1899–1965), one of Chicago 's most feared Prohibition gangsters , emigrated to the United States from the village in the late 1890s. Gordonstoun school