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John Dunn
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John Dunn original writing
Heritage turnpike
What constitutes an interesting heritage turnpike?
It must be largely untampered with, i.e. it still passes through the villages and towns on the original route, with no by-passes. The roads through these settlements must retain the same bends and curves in the road that the turnpike had as it inched its way though long-standing village streets and town squares.
The road must have had some continuity into the motoring era, retaining a largely unaltered state, but also conveying vehicles along a route of real value up to as near the present as possible.
The Rugby to North Kilworth Turnpike is one such route. It was established by a Trust in 1801, eventually to be disbanded in 1870s, when steam railways drained most of the toll paying traffic away.
Nevertheless, it retained its integrity as a route well into the modern era, being designated as the A427 until the 1960s, when it was downgraded to the B5414. In more recent years, the road has been downgraded still further to unclassified.
It has the characteristics mentioned above, with wonderfully sharp slow bends in the village centres of Clifton-upon-Dunsmore, St Thomas Cross, Catthorpe and Swinford. (Between the two latter villages of course strides the Catthorpe Interchange, through which the old road threads its way with remarkably little disruption.) Only through South Kilworth does the road pass straight through, albeit right through the centre of the village.
The old turnpike end at North Kilworth is interesting, in that the A427 continued on to Market Harborough and beyond, i.e. the directional integrity of the main road was, until the 1960s, considered to be Market Harborough to Rugby and on to Warwick, rather than the Market Harborough to Lutterworth continuity of the A4304 as it stands today.
In short summary, an old road redolent of the turnpike era, the early motoring era and the transition period between the two.
© John Dunn.
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From the archive:
Quixotic confrontation with the rock
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Endeavour is all
Our potential for freedom lies in our successful reinstatement of the active, creative and intuitive “I” back into the process of thinking, and so back into the otherwise dead world around us.
John Dunn.
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Just a thought:
Remember, shunning idolatry means that God, the Word, Logos, Truth are not to be considered as a pre-existent entities. In questioning the validity, we are confronting ourselves, now and at each moment, in a way that is analogous to Jesus’ confrontation with the Jews who chose to reject him. Forget the idolatry of churchy religionism... (Child of Encounter) John Dunn
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The Oxford to Cambridge Arc 2
Further additions to the project, starting with the Gosford Bridge to Buckingham leg of Ogilby's 1675 Oxford to Cambridge route.
John Dunn
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Visit the YouTube Channel - Dr John Dunn
Gentle motorcycle touring on a Royal Enfield Classic 500.
The historical, quirky and unusual features of the English countryside seen from the saddle are captured on video.
Join me as I follow maps, park up and take a look around.
"...I love riding these quiet country lanes - the type of road on which this Royal Enfield excels, with its low revving, low compression, long stroke engine just chugging away, able to pull even the lowest speeds on this type of road in its highest gear. It all makes for a very satisfying way to travel around when seeking out the historic, the unusual and the quirky points of interest from the English landscape."
Original commentary researched, written and read by John Dunn. Connect here.
A podcast by John Dunn.Original writing read by the author.
A podcast by John Dunn.Original writing read by the author.
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