A456 road

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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, gving 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.

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]

[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 A4545 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

1. ^ Details of the trusts are taken from the original Acts of Parliament establishing the trusts.

	A roads in Zone 4 of the Great Britain road numbering system	edit
A4	A40 - A41 - A42 - A43 - A44 - A45 - A46 - A47 - A48 - A49
	A403 - A406 - A413 - A414 - A417 - A418 - A419
	A420 - A421 - A422 - A425 - A426 - A427 - A428 - A429 - A435 - A441 - A442 - A445 - A449
	A452 - A453 - A454 - A456 - A458 - A461 - A465 - A470 - A472 - A478 - A482 - A483 - A487 - A488
	A494 - A497 - A498 - A499
	A4006 - A4012 - A4018 - A4025 - A4040 - A4042
	A4103 - A4117 - A4150 - A4133 - A4142 - A4146 - A4174
	A4202 - A4212 - A4260 - A4400 - A4536 - A4540
	List of A roads in Zone 4