A40 road
Holborn Viaduct carries the A40
Direction	East - West (London Radial)
Start	City of London
Primary destinations	White City Northolt Uxbridge Gerrards Cross Beaconsfield High Wycombe Oxford Witney Cheltenham Gloucester Ross-on-Wye Monmouth Abergavenny Brecon Carmarthen Haverfordwest
End	Fishguard
Roads joined	M40 Junctions 1, 2, 3 (northbound only), 5, 8 (northbound only, to Oxford on (A40) only) & 8A M5 Junction 11 A1 road A4 road A41 road A406 road A404 road A38 road A417 road A48 road A449 road
Euroroute(s)	E 30

The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales. It is 256 miles long. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 460 × 184 pixelsFull resolution (460 × 184 pixel, file size: 6 KB, MIME type: image/png) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The Holborn Viaduct is a bridge linking Holborn with Newgate Street in the City of London, passing over Farringdon Street. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor David Lewis  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - Total 1. ... The colour scheme used to denote a primary route. ... White City is a place in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London in England. ... , Northolt is a suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, west of London, England. ... For other places with the same name, see Uxbridge (disambiguation). ... , Gerrards Cross is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. ... Beaconsfield is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England lying almost 25 miles NW of London. ... // The world renound retard, jack milner, has been said to be living in the retarded town just west of high wycombe known as down syndromly. ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... High Street in Witney. ... For the parliamentary constituency, see Cheltenham (UK Parliament constituency). ... This article is about the city of Gloucester in England; for other uses see Gloucester (disambiguation). ... Location within the British Isles. ... Monmouth (Welsh: Trefynwy) is a town in south Wales, county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. ... , Abergavenny (Welsh: ), meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a town in the principal area of Sir Fynwy, Cymru / Monmouthshire, Wales. ... The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal basin at Brecon, the starting point of the Taff Trail. ... Carmarthen (Welsh Caerfyrddin - caer fort + Myrddin Moridunum, Merlin (origin disputed)) is the county town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. ... Haverfordwest (Welsh: Hwlffordd) is the county town of Pembrokeshire, in south-west Wales. ... Lower Fishguard Fishguard (Welsh: = Mouth of the River Gwaun) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,300 (est. ... Image File history File links UK_motorway_M40. ... The M40 motorway is a motorway in the English transport network that connects London to Birmingham. ... Image File history File links UK_motorway_M5. ... The M5 near J28, Devon This article concerns the M5 motorway in England. ... Image File history File links UK_road_A1. ... This page is about the A1 road in Great Britain. ... Image File history File links UK_road_A4. ... The A4 at Hotwells in Bristol The A4 crosses Picadilly Circus in central London The A4 is a major road in England, also known as the Great West Road. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The A41 is a major trunk road in England, United Kingdom that links London and Birkenhead. ... Image File history File links UK_road_A406. ... The A406 or the North Circular Road is a trunk-road linking west and east London going via North London. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 4 in Great Britain starting north of the A4 and south/west of the A5. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A38 passing under M50 in Worcestershire The A38 is a major trunk road in England. ... The A417 is a main road in England. ... The A48 is a major trunk road in Britain. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The A449 is a major road in the United Kingdom. ... European Route Sign The international E-road network is a network of roads in Europe, numbered E1 and up. ... European route E30 extends from the southern Irish port of Cork in the west to the Russian city of Samara in the east. ... A63(T) trunk road A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting one or more cities, ports, airports, etc. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Lower Fishguard Fishguard (Welsh: = Mouth of the River Gwaun) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,300 (est. ... This article is about the country. ...

It is one of the few remaining of the "old" trunk routes not to have been superseded by a direct motorway link, though some parts, such as the southern section from London to Oxford are served by the M40. Edward Platt authored a book entitled Leadville, an intriguing mix of sociology and town planning, and a record of how the A40 was conceived and how it shaped and continues to influence those who live beside and travel on it. Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... The M40 motorway is a motorway in the English transport network that connects London to Birmingham. ...

Part of the A40 forms a section of the unsigned Euroroute E30. European Route Sign The international E-road network is a network of roads in Europe, numbered E1 and up. ... European route E30 extends from the southern Irish port of Cork in the west to the Russian city of Samara in the east. ...

The route

The route passes through the following places in order:

• In central London:
  • The road begins as Newgate Street in the City of London where at St. Martin's le Grand it shares its terminus with the A1 north of St. Paul's Cathedral.
  • For the majority of its length in Central London it runs in a westerly direction, becoming in turn:
    • Holborn Viaduct
    • High Holborn
    • St Giles High Street
    • New Oxford Street
    • Oxford Street (to Marble Arch).
  • From Marble Arch, the route previously ran along:
    • Bayswater Road
    • Notting Hill Gate
    • Holland Park Avenue
    • Uxbridge Road
    • Wood Lane to the junction with The Westway
  • However, since 2000 when the designation of the elevated section of the Westway to Paddington was reduced from A40(M) (motorway) to A40, the route has changed to run from Marble Arch along:
    • Edgware Road (shared with and signposted as A5)
    • The Westway
  • to Savoy Circus (so called because it was once a roundabout) where the name changes to Western Avenue as far as the Denham Roundabout where it meets the western extremity of the A4020 road (the old Uxbridge Road) and the start of the M40.
• Denham
• Gerrards Cross
• Beaconsfield
• High Wycombe
• West Wycombe
• Stokenchurch
• Oxford — part of the Oxford Ring Road.
• Eynsham
• Witney
• Burford
• Northleach
• Charlton Kings
• Cheltenham
• Gloucester
• Highnam
• Huntley
• Ross-on-Wye
• Whitchurch
• Monmouth
• Abergavenny - From Here there are links for Merthyr Tydfil via the A465, Newport and M4 via the A4042 and Hereford via the A465.
• Brecon — the A40 continues from the west side of Brecon for 8 miles to Sennybridge. There are links here to Merthyr Tydfil/Brecon Beacons (A470) via the A4215 and to Swansea via the A4067.
• Llandovery — link for the A483 to Builth Wells.
• Llanwrda — link for the A482 to Lampeter.
• Llandeilo
• Carmarthen - From Here there are links to Lampeter via the A485, Cardigan and Newcastle Emlyn via the A484 and The M4 and Swansea via the A48.
• St Clears
• Whitland
• Canaston Bridge
• Haverfordwest
• Fishguard

Newgate was a gate in the west of London Wall round the City of London. ... Motto: Domine dirige nos Latin: Lord, guide us Shown within Greater London Sovereign state Constituent country Region Greater London Status City and Ceremonial County Admin HQ Guildhall Government  - Leadership see text  - Mayor David Lewis  - MP Mark Field  - London Assembly John Biggs Area  - Total 1. ... This page is about the A1 road in Great Britain. ... St Pauls Cathedral is a cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London in London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. ... The Holborn Viaduct is a bridge linking Holborn with Newgate Street in the City of London, passing over Farringdon Street. ... Holborn Bars, built as the headquarters of the Prudential Assurance Company, is one of the most striking buildings on High Holborn. ... New Oxford Street is a shopping street in Londons West End, an eastward continuation of Oxford Street proper from St Giles Circus to Holborn. ... Oxford Street, with Centre Point in the background Oxford Street in 1875, looking west from the junction with Duke Street. ... Marble Arch was originally erected on The Mall, as a gateway to the newly rebuilt Buckingham Palace. ... The main road running across the north of Hyde Park,London. ... Notting Hill Gate is one of the main thoroughfares of Notting Hill in London. ... Wood Lane is a street in London. ... For other uses of Westway, see Westway Westway, or The Westway is the main route from central London to the northwestern suburbs and beyond. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... For other places with the same name, see Paddington (disambiguation). ... Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. ... Edgware Road is a road in London. ... The A5 is a major road in the United Kingdom. ... Western Avenue, some 10 miles (16 km) in length, is one of the major roads leading out of London, England. ... The Denham Roundabout is a large road intersection to the west of London. ... The M40 motorway is a motorway in the English transport network that connects London to Birmingham. ... Denham is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. ... , Gerrards Cross is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. ... Beaconsfield is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England lying almost 25 miles NW of London. ... // The world renound retard, jack milner, has been said to be living in the retarded town just west of high wycombe known as down syndromly. ... West Wycombe is an area located just north of High Wycombe in the United Kingdom and is the home of the West Wycombe Caves. ... Stokenchurch is a village in the English county of Buckinghamshire (formerly in Oxfordshire). ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... The Oxford ring road is a ring road around the city of Oxford, England. ... Eynsham is a large village in Oxfordshire, England with a population of 5,000, lying six miles between Witney and Oxford. ... High Street in Witney. ... Looking north through Burford. ... Northleach is a small Cotswold market town in Gloucestershire. ... Charlton Kings is a suburb of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom. ... For the parliamentary constituency, see Cheltenham (UK Parliament constituency). ... This article is about the city of Gloucester in England; for other uses see Gloucester (disambiguation). ... Highnam is a small village on the outskirts of Gloucester (about 2 miles away). ... Huntley, Gloucestershire, is a village on the A40 road 7 miles west of Gloucestershire in the north of the Forest of Dean. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Whitchurch (Welsh: Llandywynnog) is a village in Herefordshire named after the church of St. ... Monmouth (Welsh: Trefynwy) is a town in south Wales, county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. ... , Abergavenny (Welsh: ), meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a town in the principal area of Sir Fynwy, Cymru / Monmouthshire, Wales. ... Merthyr Tydfil (Welsh: ) is a town and county borough in Wales, with a population of about 55,000. ... The A465, also known as the Head of the Valleys Road is a major road in Britain. ... This article is about the city of Newport in Wales. ... M4 may refer to: m4 (computer language), a macro processing language Messier 4, a globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius M4 money supply, in UK economics, equivalent to the M3 in the US; see also Money supply M4 metric sized Screw M4 A Member of Newcastle online In the military... For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... The A465, also known as the Head of the Valleys Road is a major road in Britain. ... The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal basin at Brecon, the starting point of the Taff Trail. ... Merthyr Tydfil (Welsh: ) is a town and county borough in Wales, with a population of about 55,000. ... Part of the Brecon Beacons, looking from the highest point Pen y Fan, 886 m (2907 feet), to Cribyn, 795 m (2608 feet) The Brecon Beacons (Welsh: Bannau Brycheiniog) are a mountain range located in the south-east of Wales. ... The A470 is a major road in Wales, running from Cardiff to Llandudno. ... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ... Llandovery (Welsh: Llanymddyfri) is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40 road. ... Builth Wells (Welsh: ) is a town in Powys, traditional county of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying on the River Wye. ... Llanwrda (Llan-wrda), a parish and a village in the county of Carmarthenshire, South Wales, 3 1/2 miles from the river Towy, (W. by S.) from Llandovery. ... Lampeter (Welsh: Llanbedr Pont Steffan, or more informally, Llambed) is a town in Ceredigion, Wales, United Kingdom, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the River Dulas. ... Llandeilo is a town in Carmarthenshire, west Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Tywi by the A483 on an elegant stone bridge. ... Carmarthen (Welsh Caerfyrddin - caer fort + Myrddin Moridunum, Merlin (origin disputed)) is the county town of Carmarthenshire, Wales. ... Lampeter (Welsh: Llanbedr Pont Steffan, or more informally, Llambed) is a town in Ceredigion, Wales, United Kingdom, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the River Dulas. ... Cardigan could refer to any of the following: the cardigan sweater Cardigan, a town in Wales Cardiganshire, a Welsh county Cardigan, an electoral district in Canada the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, a breed of dog Lord Cardigan, charge of the Light Brigade The Cardigans, a Swedish pop group This is a... Newcastle Emlyn (Welsh: Castell Newydd Emlyn) is a town, straddling Ceredigion (Cardiganshire) and Carmarthenshire in west Wales (though officially it is in Carmarthenshire), lying on the River Teifi. ... M4 may refer to: m4 (computer language), a macro processing language Messier 4, a globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius M4 money supply, in UK economics, equivalent to the M3 in the US; see also Money supply M4 metric sized Screw M4 A Member of Newcastle online In the military... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ... The A48 is a major trunk road in Britain. ... St Clears (Welsh: Sanclêr) is a small town on the River Taf in Carmarthenshire, west Wales. ... Whitland (in Welsh Y Hendy Gwyn) is a small town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Taf. ... Canaston Bridge is a Village in Pembrokeshire, south Wales. ... Haverfordwest (Welsh: Hwlffordd) is the county town of Pembrokeshire, in south-west Wales. ... Lower Fishguard Fishguard (Welsh: = Mouth of the River Gwaun) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,300 (est. ...

History of the road number

The original (1923) route of the A40 was the City of London to Fishguard. The road still begins and ends in the same places, but a number of changes have been made to its route.^[1]

The first change dates from 1935, between Ross-on-Wye and Abergavenny. The original route of the A40 was via Skenfrith; this road was renumbered the B4521. The A40 was rerouted via Raglan; between Ross and Raglan it replaced part of the A48, between Raglan and Llanyihangel nigh Usk it replaced the B4234, and between Llanyihangel and Abergavenny it replaced part of the A471.

Subsequently, the A40 was rerouted within west London. Western Avenue dates from the 1930s, but was originally opened as the A403. After the Second World War, the A40 was rerouted along part of the A219 (west of Notting Hill) and Western Avenue. The old route (via Acton, Ealing, Southall,Hayes, Hillingdon and Uxbridge) was renumbered the A4020.

See also

• British road numbering scheme

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

A40 road

Britain has a long history, and has many ancient roads and trackways dating back to the Roman occupation and before, including the worlds oldest engineered road yet discovered, the Sweet Track dating from the 3800s BC. With the advent of the car and the huge expansion in the numbers... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

References

Further reading

• Edward Platt, Leadville: A Biography of the A40 (Picador, 2001). ISBN 0-330-39263-8.

Gallery

High Holborn Holborn Bars, built as the headquarters of the Prudential Assurance Company, is one of the most striking buildings on High Holborn. ...

New Oxford Street New Oxford Street is a shopping street in Londons West End, an eastward continuation of Oxford Street proper from St Giles Circus to Holborn. ...

Marble Arch Download high resolution version (2095x1615, 588 KB) Marble Arch, London, England. ... Marble Arch was originally erected on The Mall, as a gateway to the newly rebuilt Buckingham Palace. ...

The Hoover Building, now a Tesco supermarket, is on the A40 The Hoover Building on Western Avenue in Perivale, West London is an example of Art Deco architecture, designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners. ... , For other uses, see Tesco (disambiguation). ...