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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

A508 Road (Great Britain)

The A508 is a 50.961 kilometres (31.666 mi), A-class road for north–south journeys in central and south central England, forming the route from Market Harborough in Leicestershire, via Northampton, to Old Stratford in Northamptonshire, just outside Milton Keynes (and the Buckinghamshire border).

Major settlements

The major settlements along the route are Market Harborough, Great Oxendon, Kelmarsh, Maidwell, Hanging Houghton, Brixworth, Pitsford, Boughton, Northampton, Roade, Grafton Regis, Yardley Gobion, before finishing in Old Stratford.

Route

Market Harborough

Background

Market Harborough town centre

The road commences in the town of Market Harborough, on the outskirts of Leicestershire, at the junction of the A4304 St. Mary's Road and Clarence Road. This small town has a population of 24,171 as of 2021 Census, and was named one of the best places to live in the country. It is the only area in Leicestershire to be included in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2023 guide.

Other routes

The road to Lubenham. View of the A4304 as it leaves Market Harborough and heads to Lubenham

By following St Mary's Road to the west, you come to the villages of Lubenham and Theddingworth, whilst following the road east takes you to Market Harborough railway station, Great Bowden and an interchange with the A6 and A427.

Kettering Road

Kettering Road (A508)

Heading south as Kettering Road, we almost immediately cross over the River Welland and just 0.139 kilometres (0.086 mi) further south from the start of the A508 route, we come to a roundabout, where Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl compete for customers. It is also the place where the A508 changes its name...

Springfield Street

Springfield Street (A508), Market Harborough

Kettering Road now bears off to the south-east and sets its sights on the A6, whilst the A508 continues to the south-west as Springfield Street. We pass two residential roads; named Britannia Walk and Springfield Court, and before too long we pass another supermarket; this time a Sainsbury's (with an Argos and a petrol station included ) in Springfield Retail Park, alongside a Shoe Zone, Pets at Home and Homebase. At the end of Springfield Street approximately 0.381 kilometres (0.237 mi) after the road started, we turn right to head south along Northampton Road at a T-junction.

Northampton Road

A508 Northampton Road in Market Harborough
A508 Northampton Road in Market Harborough

We turn right onto Northampton Road from Springfield Street, towards Northampton, the A14, Leisure centre, East Farndon and Welland Park Community College. We continue along Northampton Road for approximately 1.088 kilometres (0.676 mi), and in that time, we pass junctions with Welland Park Road, Nithsdale Crescent, Nithsdale Avenue, Auriga Street, Patrick Street, Gladstone Street, Granville Street, Bath Street, Caxton Street, Clipston Street, Scotland Road and Lathkill Street. Afterwards, we pass a car retail company and a petrol station on our left, with some allotments and Market Harborough cemetery on our right. Roughly 0.180 kilometres (0.112 mi) along, the road name changes from Northampton Road to Harborough Road at a roundabout.

Harborough Road

At this roundabout, we meet Moseley Avenue on our left, which guides drivers into a housing estate. On our left, we pass a leisure centre, a football team (Harborough Town) and a rugby team (Market Harborough Rugby Union). We continue along Harborough Road, and 0.410 kilometres (0.255 mi) later, as soon as the rugby and football pitches end to our right, so does Leicestershire. This the point where the A508 leaves Leicestershire and joins Northamptonshire.

Great Oxendon to Boughton

Great Oxendon

A508 in Great Oxenden

We cross into Northamptonshire just outside the town of Market Harborough. The A508 is also known by the name Harborough Road for 21 kilometres (13 mi), until it becomes Harborough Road North at a roundabout in the village of Boughton. However, there is a small occurrence of Main Street in Kelmarsh, 5.695 kilometres (3.539 mi) away. We act as a country lane for 1.628 kilometres (1.012 mi), and along that section, we pass a metal recycling plant, and a golf course. Then, we enter Great Oxendon, which in the 2011 Census only had a population of 331, and immediately we pass St. Helen's Church. We continue for a further 0.250 kilometres (0.155 mi) to get to the main section of the village. We pass about 16 houses through the trees to our left, before we meet about five unnamed road and The George Public House. We also meet Main Street and Braybrooke Road slightly further to the south, before leaving Great Oxendon behind us.

Kelmarsh

A508 northbound approaching the junction with the A14

We continue Northampton-bound along the road, meeting Oxendon Road (after 0.948 kilometres (0.589 mi)), and Church Lane (after a further 0.628 kilometres (0.390 mi)). The village of Arthingworth is roughly 1.75 kilometres (1.09 mi) east of this point, as the crow flies. We encounter a lay-by after another 0.881 kilometres (0.547 mi), and after a further 1.235 kilometres (0.767 mi) we reach Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens, 3.692 kilometres (2.294 mi) after leaving Great Oxendon. However, it is still another 0.186 kilometres (0.116 mi), before we arrive at the centre of Kelmarsh village. We pass about a dozen cottages, pass a crossroads with some unnamed roads, leading towards Harrington and Thorpe Underwood (both adjacent to the A14), to the left, and Clipston and Sibbertoft to the right. We continue for 0.658 kilometres (0.409 mi), we arrive at Kelmarsh Junction; the place where the A508 and A14 intersect at A14 Junction 2. We also now have to say goodbye to Kelmarsh, and hello to Maidwell...

Maidwell

A508 entering Maidwell

After passing Kelmarsh Junction with the A14, we continue on towards the centre of Northampton, and after 1.165 kilometres (0.724 mi), we arrive at Maidwell.

Lamport

Hanging Houghton

Brixworth

Pitsford

Boughton

Northampton

Spring Park Ward: Boughton to A5076 Holly Lodge Drive

Sunnyside Ward: A5076 Holly Lodge Drive to A5199 Welford Road

Kingsthorpe & St. David's Ward(s): A5199 Welford Road to A5095 Kingsthorpe Drive

Trinity Ward (A5095 concurrency): A5095 Kingsthorpe Drive to A5095 Burleigh Road

Semilong Ward: A5095 Burleigh Road to A428 Grafton Street

Northampton City Centre: A428 Grafton Street to A4500 St. Peter's Way/Towcester Road + A5123 St. Peter's Way

A5123 concurrency: A4500 St. Peter's Way/Towcester Road to central Northampton one-way system

Central Northampton one-way system

Cotton End & Delapré Ward(s): Central Northampton one-way system to Queen Eleanor Interchange (A45 + A5076 junction)

A45 concurrency: A5076 (Queen Eleanor Interchange) to M1 Junction 15 Collingtree Interchange

Northampton (A45/M1) to Old Stratford

Roade

Grafton Regis

Yardley Gobion

Old Stratford

Future

As of September 2022, a bypass is being built around Roade as part of enabling works for the rail freight interchange under construction between Roade and the M1.

Junction list

Length table

Here is a table, showing the lengths between different villages and junctions.

# Road name From To Length
01 Kettering Road A4304 St. Mary's Road Kettering Road + Springfield Street 0.149 kilometres (0.093 mi)
02 Springfield Street Kettering Road Northampton Road 0.381 kilometres (0.237 mi)
03 Northampton Road Springfield Street Harborough Road + Moseley Avenue 1.088 kilometres (0.676 mi)
04 Harborough Road Moseley Avenue Roundabout Leicestershire + Northamptonshire boundary 0.410 kilometres (0.255 mi)
05 Harborough Road L/N boundary line Great Oxendon village 1.628 kilometres (1.012 mi)
06 Harborough Road Through the centre of Great Oxendon 0.679 kilometres (0.422 mi)
07 Harborough Road Great Oxendon Kelmarsh Hall 3.692 kilometres (2.294 mi)
08 Harborough Road Kelmarsh Hall Kelmarsh Village 0.186 kilometres (0.116 mi)
09 Main Street Kelmarsh Village Kelmarsh Junction 0.658 kilometres (0.409 mi)
10 Harborough Road Length of Kelmarsh Junction 0.399 kilometres (0.248 mi)
11 Harborough Road Kelmarsh Junction Start of Maidwell Village (heading south towards Northampton) 1.165 kilometres (0.724 mi)
12 Harborough Road Length of Maidwell Village 0.647 kilometres (0.402 mi)
13 Harborough Road End of Maidwell Village (heading south towards Northampton) Lamport (High Street) 2.577 kilometres (1.601 mi)
14 Harborough Road Lamport (High Street) Hanging Houghton (High Street) 0.820 kilometres (0.510 mi)
15 Harborough Road Hanging Houghton (High Street) Start of Brixworth Bypass (heading south towards Northampton) 1.887 kilometres (1.173 mi)
16 Harborough Road (Brixworth Bypass) Harborough Road Scaldwell Road Roundabout 0.800 kilometres (0.497 mi)
17 Harborough Road (Brixworth Bypass) Scaldwell Road Roundabout Northampton Road Roundabout 2.211 kilometres (1.374 mi)
18 Harborough Road Northampton Road Roundabout Pitsford (High Street) 1.461 kilometres (0.908 mi)
19 Harborough Road North Pitsford (High Street) Brampton Lane/Vyse Road Roundabout 2.365 kilometres (1.470 mi)
20 Harborough Road/Harborough Road North Brampton Lane/Vyse Road Roundabout A5076 Holly Lodge Drive 1.138 kilometres (0.707 mi)
21 Harborough Road A5076 Holly Lodge Drive A5199 Welford Road 1.041 kilometres (0.647 mi)
22 Harborough Road A5199 Welford Road Mill Lane/ A5095 Kingsthorpe Drive 0.414 kilometres (0.257 mi)
23 Queen's Park Parade + Kingsthorpe Road Mill Lane/ A5095 Kingsthorpe Drive Balfour Road/ A5095 Burleigh Road 0.838 kilometres (0.521 mi)
24 Kingsthorpe Road + Barrack Road Balfour Road/ A5095 Burleigh Road Campbell Street/ A428 Grafton Street 1.082 kilometres (0.672 mi)
25 Broad Street, Horse Market + Horseshoe Street Campbell Street/ A428 Grafton Street A4500 St. Peter's Way + A5123 Towcester Road/St. Peter's Way. 0.896 kilometres (0.557 mi)
26 St. Peter's Way A4500 St. Peter's Way + A5123 Towcester Road/St. Peter's Way. A5123 Bridge Street/Victoria Promenade. 0.304 kilometres (0.189 mi)
27 Bridge Street, Victoria Gardens + Cattle Market Road. Length of A508/ A5123 one-way system 0.935 kilometres (0.581 mi)
28 Cotton End + London Road One-way system: A5123 Cattle Farm Road/Bridge Road Queen Eleanor Interchange: A45 Nene Valley Way + A5076 Mere Way. 1.907 kilometres (1.185 mi)
29 Queen Eleanor Interchange Perimeter of Queen Eleanor Interchange. 0.511 kilometres (0.318 mi)
30 A45 Queen Eleanor Interchange: A45 Nene Valley Way + A5076 Mere Way. M1 Junction 15: Collingtree Junction 3.155 kilometres (1.960 mi)
31 M1 Junction 15: Collingtree Junction Length of M1 Junction 15: Collingtree Junction 0.779 kilometres (0.484 mi)
32 Northampton Road M1 Junction 15: Collingtree Junction Rail Freight Terminal Roundabout 0.499 kilometres (0.310 mi)
33 Northampton Road Rail Freight Terminal Roundabout Northampton Road/London Road 2.024 kilometres (1.258 mi)
34 London Road Northampton Road Roundabout Roade High Street Roundabout 0.591 kilometres (0.367 mi)
35 London Road + Stratford Road Roade High Street Roundabout End of Roade village 0.579 kilometres (0.360 mi)
36 Stratford Road + Northampton Road End of Roade village Start of Yardley Gobion village 4.647 kilometres (2.888 mi)
37 Northampton Road Length of Grafton Regis 0.357 kilometres (0.222 mi)
38 Northampton Road End of Grafton Regis Yardley Gobion (Grafton Road) 1.766 kilometres (1.097 mi)
39 Northampton Road Yardley Gobion (Grafton Road) Old Stratford Roundabout: A5 Watling Street/Stratford Bypass + A422 Deanshanger Road 4.295 kilometres (2.669 mi)
40 Total 50.961 kilometres (31.666 mi)

Length table key

Road usage