List of primary destinations on the United Kingdom road network

Primary destinations are locations that appear on route confirmation signs in the United Kingdom. Most are important settlements or conurbations, but some are bridges and tunnels, or even villages that are important junctions, e.g. Scotch Corner or Crianlarich.

Directional sign showing primary destinations only.

In 1994, previous lists for destinations in Great Britain were superseded when English, Scottish and Welsh destinations were prescribed in Appendix C of Local Transport Note 1/94: The Design and Use of Directional Informatory Signs (LTN 1/94), published by the then Department of Transport.[1] A revised list for England was published in 2009[2] and updated in 2010.[3]

The 1994 list had 333 entries for England. When the 2010 list was compiled, 15 entries were removed[note 1] and 16 added,[note 2] giving a total of 334 entries. In December 2011, following a consultation, the Department for Transport announced that it would add Birmingham Airport, East Midlands Airport, Luton Airport, Thamesport (for Medway Ports East) and Port of Tilbury; and, in response to local feedback, that it would also add Colne and Minehead and ratify the removal of Stone.[4]

The list for Northern Ireland destinations has always been maintained separately from those for Great Britain. Since devolution under the Scotland Act 1998 and the Government of Wales Act 1998, transport matters and hence responsibility for maintaining lists of primary destinations have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd and their respective governments.

Some maps show primary destinations in a different colour or font size to other places.[5] However, these sometimes include places which are not on the official lists.

Signage

edit

Primary destinations in Greater London, other than Heathrow Airport and London, will generally only be signed within the M25 motorway.

 
Directional sign showing both primary destination (on a green background) and non-primary destinations (on a white background) at a conventional "T" junction.
 
Overhead directional sign on a dual carriageway.
 
Directional road sign in Scotland with destinations in both English and Scottish Gaelic.

List of primary destinations

edit

Great Britain

edit

The entries for England in this list were compiled from the 2010 list and 2011 amendments,[3][4] while those for Scotland and Wales were compiled from the 1994 list.[1][note 3]

Region Ceremonial county Destination National translation[note 4][note 5]
East of England Bedfordshire Bedford
Dunstable
Luton
Luton Airport
South East England Berkshire Bracknell
Hungerford
Maidenhead
Newbury
Reading
Slough
South West England Bristol Avonmouth
Bristol Bryste
South East England Buckinghamshire Amersham
Aylesbury
Beaconsfield
High Wycombe (often as just "Wycombe")
Milton Keynes
East of England Cambridgeshire Cambridge
Ely
Huntingdon
Peterborough
Wisbech
North West England Cheshire Chester Caer
Congleton
Crewe
Ellesmere Port
Macclesfield
Nantwich
Northwich
Runcorn
Warrington
Widnes
South West England Cornwall Bodmin
Bude
Falmouth
Helston
Launceston
Liskeard
Newquay
Penzance
Redruth
St Austell
Truro
Wadebridge
North West England Cumbria Barrow-in-Furness
Brough
Carlisle
Kendal
Keswick
Kirkby Lonsdale
Penrith
Whitehaven
Windermere
East Midlands Derbyshire Ashbourne
Buxton
Chesterfield
Derby
Matlock
South West England Devon Barnstaple
Bideford
Exeter
Exmouth
Honiton
Okehampton
Paignton
Plymouth
Tavistock
Torquay
South West England Dorset Blandford
Bournemouth
Dorchester
Poole
Shaftesbury
Weymouth
North East England County Durham Bishop Auckland
Consett
Darlington
Durham
Hartlepool
Stockton[note 6]
Yorkshire and the Humber East Riding of Yorkshire Bridlington
Goole
Hull
East Riding of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire Humber Bridge
South East England East Sussex Brighton
Eastbourne
Hastings
Lewes
Newhaven
Uckfield
East of England Essex Basildon
Chelmsford
Clacton
Colchester
Dartford Crossing
Harlow
Harwich
Port of Tilbury
Southend
Stansted Airport
Tilbury
South West England Gloucestershire Cheltenham
Cirencester
Gloucester Caerloyw
Greater London Greater London Heathrow Airport
London Llundain
Barking
Bexleyheath
Brent Cross
Brixton
Bromley
Central London
City of London The City
Greater London Clapham Junction
Croydon
Dalston
Docklands
Ealing
Enfield
Hammersmith
Harrow
Holloway
Hounslow
Ilford
Kilburn
Kingston
Lewisham
Peckham
Richmond
Romford
Stratford
Sutton
Uxbridge
Vauxhall
Walthamstow
Wembley
West End
Westminster
Wimbledon
Wood Green
Woolwich
North West England Greater Manchester Altrincham
Ashton-under-Lyne
Bolton
Bury
Leigh
Manchester Manceinion
Manchester Airport
Oldham
Rochdale
Salford
Stockport
Trafford Park
Wigan
South East England Hampshire Andover
Basingstoke
Fareham
Petersfield
Portsmouth
Ringwood
Southampton
Winchester
West Midlands Herefordshire Hereford Henffordd
Leominster Llanllieni
Ross-on-Wye (often as just "Ross") Rhosan ar Wy
East of England Hertfordshire Hemel Hempstead
Hertford
St Albans
Stevenage
Watford
South East England Kent Ashford
Canterbury
Channel Tunnel
Dartford Crossing
Dover
Folkestone
Maidstone
Margate
Ramsgate
Sevenoaks
Sheerness
Thamesport
Tunbridge Wells
North West England Lancashire Blackburn
Blackpool
Burnley
Clitheroe
Colne
Fleetwood
Heysham
Lancaster
Morecambe
Preston
Skelmersdale
East Midlands Leicestershire East Midlands Airport
Hinckley
Leicester
Loughborough
Market Harborough
Melton Mowbray
Yorkshire and the Humber Lincolnshire Grimsby
Immingham
East Midlands Lincolnshire Boston
Gainsborough
Grantham
Lincoln
Yorkshire and the Humber Lincolnshire Scunthorpe
East Midlands Lincolnshire Skegness
Sleaford
Spalding
Stamford
North West England Merseyside Birkenhead Penbedw
Bootle
Garston
Huyton
Liverpool Lerpwl
St Helens
Southport
Speke
Wallasey
East of England Norfolk Cromer
Diss
Downham Market
Great Yarmouth
King's Lynn
Norwich
Swaffham
Thetford
East Midlands Northamptonshire Corby
Kettering
Northampton
Wellingborough
North East England Northumberland Alnwick
Ashington
Berwick-upon-Tweed (often as just "Berwick")
Corbridge
Hexham
Morpeth
Yorkshire and the Humber North Yorkshire Harrogate
North East England North Yorkshire Middlesbrough[note 6]
Yorkshire and the Humber North Yorkshire Ripon
Scarborough
Scotch Corner
Selby
Skipton
North East England North Yorkshire Teesside[note 6]
Yorkshire and the Humber North Yorkshire Thirsk
Whitby
York
East Midlands Nottinghamshire Mansfield
Newark
Nottingham
Worksop
South East England Oxfordshire Banbury
Oxford
East Midlands Rutland Oakham
West Midlands Shropshire Bridgnorth
Oswestry Croesoswalt
Shrewsbury Amwythig
Telford
Whitchurch Yr Eglwys Wen
South West England Somerset Bath
Bridgwater
Frome
Glastonbury
Minehead
Shepton Mallet
Taunton
Weston-super-Mare
Yeovil
Yorkshire and the Humber South Yorkshire Barnsley
Doncaster
Rotherham
Sheffield
West Midlands Staffordshire Burton-upon-Trent (sometimes just as "Burton")
Cannock
Leek
Lichfield
Newcastle-under-Lyme (often as just "Newcastle")
Rugeley
Stafford
Stoke-on-Trent (often as just "Stoke")
Tamworth
Uttoxeter
East of England Suffolk Beccles
Bury St Edmunds
Felixstowe
Ipswich
Lowestoft
Newmarket
Sudbury
South East England Surrey Dorking
Farnham
Guildford
Reigate
Staines
North East England Tyne and Wear Gateshead
Newcastle
South Shields
Sunderland
Tynemouth
Tyne Tunnel
West Midlands Warwickshire Leamington Spa (often as just "Leamington")
Nuneaton
Rugby
Stratford-upon-Avon
Warwick
West Midlands West Midlands Birmingham
Birmingham Airport
Brownhills
Coventry
Dudley
Solihull
Stourbridge
Walsall
West Bromwich
Wolverhampton
South East England West Sussex Bognor Regis
Chichester
Crawley
East Grinstead
Gatwick Airport
Horsham
Worthing
Yorkshire and the Humber West Yorkshire Bradford
Dewsbury
Halifax
Huddersfield
Keighley
Leeds
Pontefract
Wakefield
Wetherby
South West England Wiltshire Chippenham
Marlborough
Salisbury
Swindon
Trowbridge
Warminster
West Midlands Worcestershire Bromsgrove
Evesham
Kidderminster
Redditch
Worcester Caerwrangon
Scotland Aberdeen Aberdeen
Stirlingshire Aberfoyle
Lanarkshire Airdrie
Angus Arbroath
Inverness Aviemore An Aghaidh Mhòr
Ayrshire Ayr
Aberdeenshire Banff
Lanarkshire Biggar
Perthshire Blairgowrie
Aberdeenshire Braemar
Stirlingshire Callander
Argyll Campbeltown Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain
Berwickshire Coldstream
Stirlingshire Crianlarich A' Chrìon Làraich
Dunbartonshire Dumbarton
Moray Dufftown
Dumfriesshire Dumfries
Dundee Dundee Dùn Dèagh
Fife Dunfermline
Sutherland Durness
Lanarkshire East Kilbride
Lothian Edinburgh Dùn Èideann
Edinburgh Airport
Moray Elgin
Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire Erskine Bridge
Stirlingshire Falkirk
Angus Forfar
Lothian, Fife Forth Road Bridge
Inverness Fort William An Gearasdan
Aberdeenshire Fraserburgh
Selkirkshire Galashiels
Glasgow Glasgow Glaschu
Renfrewshire Glasgow Airport
Inverness Grantown-on-Spey Baile nan Granndach
Renfrewshire Greenock
Lanarkshire Hamilton
Roxburghshire Hawick
Aberdeenshire Huntly
Inverness Inverness Inbhir Nis
Argyll Inveraray Inbhir Aora
Ayrshire Irvine
Roxburghshire Jedburgh
Caithness John o' Groats Taigh Iain Ghròt
Roxburghshire Kelso
Ayrshire Kilmarnock
Stirlingshire, Fife Kincardine
Fife Kinross
Kirkcaldy
Ross and Cromarty Kyle of Lochalsh Caol Loch Aillse
Lanarkshire Lanark
Lothian Leith
Livingston
Stirlingshire, Fife Lochearnhead
Argyll Lochgilphead Ceann Loch Gilb
Inverness Mallaig Malaig
Angus Montrose
Lothian Musselburgh
Inverness Newtonmore Baile Ùr an t-Sléibh
Argyll Oban An t-Òban
Renfrewshire Paisley
Peeblesshire Peebles
Perthshire Perth Peairt
Aberdeenshire Peterhead
Perthshire Pitlochry Baile Chloichridh
Ross and Cromarty Portree Port Rìgh
Fife St Andrews
Stirlingshire Stirling Sruighlea
Aberdeenshire Stonehaven
Wigtownshire Stranraer
Lanarkshire Strathaven
Dundee, Fife Tay Bridge
Caithness Thurso Inbhir Theòrsa
Ross and Cromarty Uig Uige
Ullapool Ullapul
Caithness Wick Inbhir Ùige
Wales Clwyd Llangollen
Mold Yr Wyddgrug
Queensferry
Ruthin Rhuthun
St. Asaph Llanelwy
Wrexham Wrecsam
Dyfed Aberystwyth
Cardigan Aberteifi
Carmarthen Caerfyrddin
Fishguard Abergwaun
Haverfordwest Hwlffordd
Llandeilo
Llandovery Llanymddyfri
Llanelli
Milford Haven Aberdaugleddau
Pembroke Dock Doc Penfro
St Clears Sanclêr
Tenby Dinbich-y-pysgod
Gwent Abergavenny Y Fenni
Chepstow Cas-gwent
Cwmbran Cwmbrân
Monmouth Trefynwy
Newport Casnewydd
Gwynedd Bala Y Bala
Bangor
Betws-y-coed
Caernarfon
Conwy
Dolgellau
Holyhead Caergybi
Llandudno
Porthmadog
Mid Glamorgan Bridgend Pen-y-bont
Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tudful
Powys Brecon Aberhonddu
Builth Wells Llanfair-ym-Muallt
Llandrindod Wells Llandrindod
Llangurig
Machynlleth
Newtown Y Drenewydd
Rhayader Rhaeadr Gwy
Welshpool Y Trallwng
South Glamorgan Cardiff Caerdydd
West Glamorgan Neath Castell-nedd
Port Talbot
Swansea Abertawe

Northern Ireland

edit
 
The Derry/Londonderry name dispute has led to controversy over the choice of destination name in Northern Ireland.

Primary destinations in Northern Ireland are published separately from those in Great Britain. The current list is:[5]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Entries that were removed: Alton, Avonmouth, Bawtry, Brighouse, Esher, Hatfield, March, Midhurst, Redhill, Stretford, Stroud, Swanley, Wells, Wimbourne and Workington
  2. ^ Entries that were added: Altrincham, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Garston, Heysham, Huyton, Keighley, Leigh, Manchester Airport, Newquay, Shepton Mallet, Speke, Trafford Park, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield, Wellingborough
  3. ^ The choice of ceremonial rather than administrative county was prompted by the lack of consistency in the English local government system as some areas are covered by county and district councils, while others have a unitary authority.
  4. ^ Every destination in Wales along with some English destinations signed within the country is translated into Welsh where applicable on road signs.
  5. ^ Bilingual road signs with Scottish Gaelic translations of destinations have been phased in across the Scottish Highlands and the A9 trunk road between Inverness and Perth.
  6. ^ a b c The Teesside conurbation area straddles the North Yorkshire/County Durham border. Outside this area, Teesside is used, otherwise Middlesbrough (which is entirely within North Yorkshire) and Stockton (whose town centre is in County Durham) are used.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Department of Transport (July 1994). "Local Transport Note 1/94: The Design and Use of Directional Informatory Signs" (PDF). London: HMSO. pp. 24–26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  2. ^ Department for Transport (18 December 2009). "Primary route destinations in England by region" (PDF). London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b Department for Transport (7 July 2010). "Primary route destinations in England by region" (PDF). London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  4. ^ a b Department for Transport (6 December 2011). "Road Network Policy Consultation – Response" (PDF). London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
  5. ^ a b "ViaMichelin maps". Michelin. Retrieved 17 February 2012. ("ViaMichelin key". Michelin. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2012.}