A26 road

The A26 road is a primary route in the southeast of England, going from Maidstone to Newhaven through the counties of Kent and East Sussex. The road is almost entirely single carriageway with one lane on each side, although parts of the road are three lanes, with the middle lane switching sides for overtaking and right turns.[1]

For the road in Northern Ireland, see A26 road (Northern Ireland).

A26 shield
A26
Southern Entrance, Cuilfail Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 292058.jpg
A26 Cuilfail Tunnel in Lewes
Major junctions
Northeast endMaidstone
Major intersections
Southwest endNewhaven
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
Primary
destinations		Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Maidstone, Lewes
Road network
← A25→ A27

The road runs for a total distance of some 50 miles (80 kilometres) and provides access to the North Kent area and its industrial base with the ferry port of Newhaven. Consequently, it has a large Heavy Goods Vehicle usage.

History

The A26 was originally classified in 1922 due to the Ministry of Transport Act 1919, which in section 19 instructed the classification of all major roads.[2] The original route went from Maidstone to Brighton, along part of what is now the A27.[3] The part of the road going from Lewes was later reclassified to the A27 between 1947 and 1951.[4][5] The road was later extended along the B2109 to Newhaven after 1969.[6]

Route

Maidstone to Tonbridge

The road starts as a non-primary route at a gyratory with the A20, in Maidstone, and then heads west to the A228, through Barming, Barming Heath, Teston, Wateringbury, and Mereworth where it becomes a primary route.

It then turns southwest towards Tonbridge and shares the route of the A228 until the next roundabout with Seven Mile Lane. The A26 passes through Hadlow and the edge of Tonbridge. Since 1970[7] it has formed an eastern bypass of Tonbridge town centre, which terminates at the Vauxhall roundabout where there are slip roads to the A21 dual carriageway. From this roundabout, the A2014 Pembury Road runs into Tonbridge. The A26 route resumes at the west end of Pembury Road and heads south as Quarry Hill, forming a grade-separated junction with the A21.

Tonbridge to Maresfield

South of Tonbride the A26 passes through Bidborough, Southborough, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Eridge Green, and Boarshead. The road then passes through Crowborough, going past the B2100, and then goes towards Maresfield, where it is interrupted by the A22.[8][9]

Ridgewood to Newhaven

Again heading south-west, the road meets with the A2029 in Lewes after passing Little Horsted and leaves Lewes heading south via Cuilfail Tunnel until it is interrupted again, this time by the A27.

After a short stretch of road where it is merged with the A27, it heads south, ending on the A259 in Newhaven, after passing Tarring Neville and South Heighton.[8][9]

Distinguishing features

When entering Lewes from the direction of Uckfield, one is met with a view of the chalk cliffs at the very edge of the South Downs. Continuing, you enter the Cuilfail Tunnel, constructed in 1983, which leaves at the roundabout The Culfail Spiral, a sculpture created by Peter Randall-Page.

Junctions
County Location mi km Coord Destinations Notes
Kent Maidstone 0 0 [coord 1] A20 - Maidstone, Ditton
— 3.4 5.4 [coord 2] B2163 - West Farleigh, Coxheath
4.3 6.9 [coord 3] B2015 - East Peckham
6.6 10.6 [coord 4] A228 - Kings Hill, East Peckham
B2016 - Wrotham Heath
Tonbridge 14.4 23.2 [coord 5] B2017 - Tudeley
15 24 [coord 6] A21  - Hastings, Sevenoaks
A2014  - Tonbridge		 Continues as A2014
concurrency with the A2014
15.7 25.3 [coord 7] A2014 - Junction with A21
B2260 - Tonbridge		 Continues from A2014
16.4 26.4 [coord 8] A21  - Sevenoaks, London No eastbound entry to A21 or westbound exit from A21
Royal Tunbridge Wells 17.3 27.8 [coord 9] B2176 - Penshurst
20.1 32.3 [coord 10] A264  - Langton Green, Pembury
20.5 33.0 [coord 11] B2023 - Royal Tunbridge Wells
25.6 33.1 [coord 12] A267  - Frant
East Sussex Crowborough 27.2 43.7 [coord 13] B2100 - Rotherfield
— 33.4 53.8 [coord 14] A272  - Buxted
33.8 54.4 [coord 15] A22  - East Grinstead Continues as A22
Uckfield concurrency with the A22
36.6 58.9 [coord 16] A22  - Hailsham Continues from A22
Lewes 42.5 68.4 [coord 17] B2192 - Rotherfield
43.2 69.5 [coord 18] A2029  - Lewes
44.0 70.9 [coord 19] A27  - Brighton, Worthing Continues as A27
— concurrency with the A27
45.5 73.2 [coord 20] A27  - Eastbourne Continues from A27
Newhaven 49.9 80.3 [coord 21] B2109 - Newhaven
50.6 81.4 [coord 22] A259  - Peacehaven, Seaford
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

*Ceremonial Counties

Coordinate list
  1. 51.2705°N 0.5128°E / 51.2705; 0.5128 (Junction between A26 and A20)
  2. 51.2545°N 0.4445°E / 51.2545; 0.4445 (Junction between A26 and B2163)
  3. 51.2554°N 0.4231°E / 51.2554; 0.4231 (Junction between A26 and B2015)
  4. 51.2543°N 0.3779°E / 51.2543; 0.3779 (Junction between A26 and A228)
  5. 51.1855°N 0.2938°E / 51.1855; 0.2938 (Junction between A26 and B2017)
  6. 51.1818°N 0.2828°E / 51.1818; 0.2828 (Junction between A26 and A2014)
  7. 51.1898°N 0.2697°E / 51.1898; 0.2697 (Junction between A26 and B2260)
  8. 51.1818°N 0.2630°E / 51.1818; 0.2630 (Junction between A26 and A21)
  9. 51.1712°N 0.2534°E / 51.1712; 0.2534 (Junction between A26 and B2176)
  10. 51.1324°N 0.2588°E / 51.1324; 0.2588 (Junction between A26 and A264)
  11. 51.1274°N 0.2598°E / 51.1274; 0.2598 (Junction between A26 and B2023)
  12. 51.1268°N 0.2590°E / 51.1268; 0.2590 (Junction between A26 and A267)
  13. 51.0605°N 0.1616°E / 51.0605; 0.1616 (Junction between A26 and B2100)
  14. 50.9922°N 0.0945°E / 50.9922; 0.0945 (Junction between A26 and A272)
  15. 50.9880°N 0.0906°E / 50.9880; 0.0906 (Junction between A26 and A22)
  16. 50.9516°N 0.0955°E / 50.9516; 0.0955 (Junction between A26 and A22)
  17. 50.8843°N 0.0214°E / 50.8843; 0.0214 (Junction between A26 and B2192)
  18. 50.8759°N 0.0196°E / 50.8759; 0.0196 (Junction between A26 and A2029)
  19. 50.8646°N 0.0248°E / 50.8646; 0.0248 (Junction between A26 and A27)
  20. 50.8538°N 0.0527°E / 50.8538; 0.0527 (Junction between A26 and B27)
  21. 50.8048°N 0.0531°E / 50.8048; 0.0531 (Junction between A26 and B2109)
  22. 50.7959°N 0.0557°E / 50.7959; 0.0557 (Junction between A26 and A259)

References
  1. 51.0848°N 0.1981°E / 51.0848; 0.1981 (Junction 2 of M606)
  2. "Ministry of Transport Act 1919".
  3. "SABRE – Maps". sabre-roads.org.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  4. "SABRE – Maps". sabre-roads.org.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  5. "View map: Sussex LIV.SW – Ordnance Survey Six-inch England and Wales, 1842–1952". maps.nls.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  6. "SABRE – Maps". sabre-roads.org.uk. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  7. SABRE https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Network_changes_-_1970s
  8. "A26". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  9. "A26 – Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki". sabre-roads.org.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2021.

Media related to A26 road (England) at Wikimedia Commons

51.05542°N 0.15484°E / 51.05542; 0.15484

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