A456 road

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The A456 is a main road in England running between Birmingham and Woofferton, Shropshire, south of Ludlow.

[edit] History

Much of the road is almost certainly medieval in origin. However, the road was laid out, essentially in its present form (except where there are modern bypasses) by a series of 18th century turnpike trusts.

From Birmingham to Blakedown section was the responsibility of one trust established in 1753 to improve roads from the market house in Stourbridge. Blakedown was then part of Hagley, giving rise to the name for it of 'Hagley Road'.

The section from Blakedown to Bewdley Bridge represents two of the eight roads from the market house in Kidderminster that were maintained by a trust established in 1759. The turnpike road passed through Halesowen, following what is now A458 road and B4183 to Hayley Green. Halesowen was bypassed in the mid 20th century, and Manor Lane became part of A456. Then in the 1970s the Qunton Expressway was opened to connect with M5 motorway junction 3, when the northern section of M5 was opened in the 1970s.

From the Welsh Gate of Bewdley to Newnham Bridge, it was managed by the Bewdley Trust established in 1753. From Monksbridge (the Shropshire boundary, to Woofferton and so to Ludlow, the road was repaired by the Ludlow First Turnpike Trust of about 1751. The intervening section was handled by the Hundred House Turnpike Trust of 1753. The Hundred House at Great Witley was probably the meeting place for Doddingtree Hundred. This trust was unusual in being responsible for several roads radiating from a place that was not a town.^[1]

The section through Bewdley was downgraded, becoming B4199, when the Bewdley bypass was opened in the 1990s.

[edit] Notable places and junctions along the route of the A456

• Birmingham, West Midlands
• Five Ways, Birmingham
• Birmingham Oratory, Edgbaston
• Edgbaston, Birmingham
• Junction with A4040 Birmingham Outer Circle
• Bearwood, West Midlands
• Junction with A458 which runs along the former line of the road
• M5 motorway junction 3
• Lapal, Birmingham
• Halesowen, Birmingham (now by-passed)
• Junction with B4183. The modern A456 now rejoins its original route.
• Hagley, Worcestershire, where A491 road crosses it from Stourbridge to Bromsgrove
• West Hagley, Worcestershire
• Junction with A450 road to Worcester.
• Blakedown, Worcestershire
• Kidderminster, Worcestershire
• Junction with A442
• Junction with A4535 leading to A451 leading to Stourport
• West Midlands Safari Park
• Passes under Severn Valley Railway
• Bewdley, Worcestershire (now by-passed)
• Wyre Forest
• Junction with A4117
• Clows Top, Worcestershire
• Mamble, Worcestershire
• Junction with A443
• River Teme
• Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire
• Woofferton, Shropshire

[edit] References

v • d • e A roads in Zone 4 of the Great Britain road numbering scheme A4 • A40 • A41 • A42 • A43 • A44 • A45 • A46 • A47 • A48 • A49 • A403 • A404 • A406 • A412 • A413 • A414 • A417 • A418 • A419 A420 • A421 • A422 • A423 • A425 • A426 • A427 • A428 • A429 • A431 • A432 • A435 • A441 • A442 • A445 • A449 • A452 • A453 • A454 • A456 • A458 A461 • A465 • A468 • A469 • A470 • A472 • A478 • A482 • A483 • A484 • A487 • A488 • A489 • A490 • A494 • A497 • A498 • A499 A4005 • A4006 • A4010 • A4012 • A4018 • A4025 • A4032 • A4040 • A4042 • A4050 • A4067 • A4080 • A4085 • A4094 • A4103 • A4113 • A4117 • A4118 • A4133 • A4135 • A4142 • A4146 A4150 • A4155 • A4161 • A4173 • A4174 • A4196 • A4202 • A4212 • A4232 • A4234 • A4260 • A4361 • A4400 • A4536 • A4540 List of A roads in Zone 4