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A roads are often overlooked in favour of their more glamorous motorway counterparts but they are used by millions of Brits on a daily basis who consider them the lifeblood of the country!

ClassicLine salutes the nations A roads by honouring these major trunk roads without which the nation would grind to a halt.

A roads are unsung heroes no more (sorry B roads but I’m sure you’ll also get a mention in the future).

A1

The A1 road (not be confused with the British-Norwegian A1 pop band formed in 1998) is over 400 miles long and stretches from London to Edinburgh.

A road anoraks will also know it has been upgraded to motorway standard at various points, including the M25 to Stotfold and a major-section from Darrington to Gateshead at almost 100 miles long.

The history of the A1 can be traced back to 1921 when it was designated by the Ministry of Transport and its fame has seen it mentioned in a song by Jethro Tull among others, as well as in a novel called ‘On the Holloway Road’.

A34

The A34 is really in two sections, running from Winchester to near Manchester.

Its most famous (or should that be infamous) section is the southern part near Newbury which made national news when the Bypass was built in the 1990s.

The clearance of more than 100 acres of woodland led to some of the largest anti-road demonstrations in Europe.

Interesting sights to look out for when driving the A34 include the Didcot power station and……(sorry, can’t think of any others!).

A2

The A2 from London to Dover also encompasses Watling Street in parts, a famous ancient trackway that was later paved by the Romans.

It is 71 miles long and connects London to Dover (hence why it was formerly known as the Dover Road).

The main passage is through the county of Kent, which is also famous for having the smallest town in Britain and for being the setting for The Darling Buds of May.

Unlike the A1 the A2 does not share a name with a pop band.

A5

Watling Street re-appears further north as part of A5, a 275 mile stretch of road from Marble Arch in London to Holyhead in north Wales.

Notable towns along the way include Dunstable, Nuneaton, Shrewsbury and Bangor. However, none is more important than Hinckley – home of ClassicLine Insurance!

So if you’re driving along the A5 in Leicestershire then please feel free to drop in for a cup of tea or coffee with ClassicLine team.

Do you have a favourite A road? ClassicLine would love to hear from you.