Road Numbering
ROAD NUMBERS.
We have a numbering system to classify and identify all our roads, with a single letter and a number of up to four digits. Originally intended to make the allocation of Government funding easier, the numbers were soon added to maps, and signs, to help with navigation.
In 1909 the Road Board was set up to administer Vehicle Excise Duty (first introduced in 1888). As motor vehicles became more popular it was necessary to allocate this tax and to work out which were the main routes and where to spend the duty raised.
A definite list of major roads was published on 1st April 1923.
The scheme divided Great Britain into 9 zones, 6 radiating from London, and 3 from Edinburgh.
The English zones start with 1 being the East and based on The Great North Road, then clockwise with Zone 2 being (roughly) Kent, Zone 3 (us) from London down to Land’s End, Zone 4 the West Midlands and most of Wales, and so on. Generally the main single digit road (the traditional main road) was the boundary of the zone starting clockwise. So zone 3 starts at the A3, and finishes just before the A4 (going clockwise).
Other A roads were numbered from the main road going clockwise – A31, A32, round to us at A36 and onwards. Radial and cross linking roads follow the same principle.
The A303 was numbered in 1933. Along with other three digit A roads, its number is taken from the local A road where it starts, so generally (but not always) numbering followed the general principle.
There are, of course, anomalies and odd roads!
B roads are numbered distributor roads with lower traffic densities than A roads. They follow the same numbering system but generally have 3 or 4 digits.
C and unclassified roads are generally numbered but for the use of the local authorities and often don’t appear on road signs.
Researched and written by Nicky Street (with thanks to National Highways, sabre-roads.org, Wikipedia and so on).
What about our road? The B3083 – the numbers don’t quite fit! An interesting story, and another article.