Examples of surprisingly high mileages given to towns on UK road signs

[jednick]

I'm in Scotland right now, and this got me thinking:

In Glasgow or Perth or Fort William, I keep seeing the small village of Crainlarich listed on road signs, and a distance of 60+ miles given to the place.

I'm looking for examples of very high mileages given to UK destinations on road signs.

So for instance, on the M6 near Preston / Lancaster there's a mileage given to Birmingham, at around 115 or 120 miles. And also, I've seen a similar mileage listed to Felixtowe, somewhere near the Warwickshire / Leicestershire border, I think it was. Also a distance of 109 miles to Thurso, on a road sign on the A9 just coming out of Inverness.

Apart from mileages to London, what other examples are there of given mileages on UK road signs of 100+ miles?

I'd particularly like to ask, what's the furthest mileage given to the smallest most insignificant town, on a UK road sign?

So, for example, are there any towns with a population of just a few thousand and there's a road sign listing a mileage of 70, 80 or 90+ miles?

Can anybody name a UK town / village with 1,000 population or less and there's a road sign to the place with a given mileage of 100+ miles?

Also, what's the highest mileage given to any destination on a UK road sign? I'm betting it's London. Anybody seen a road sign listing the distance to London as greater than 200 miles?

 

[telstarbox]

IIRC Scotch Corner is signed from a long way away and has no permanent population.

 

[nlogax]

Re. your last question I believe it's a sign on the A48M in south Wales, 145 miles from London. I'm sure the good folks at SABRE would confirm of course.

 

[transmanche]

Apart from mileages to London, what other examples are there of given mileages on UK road signs of 100+ miles?

The B1318 in Newcastle shows 'Edinburgh 117'. So, I nominate this as the highest mileage sign to be found on a B-road!

A bit of a cheat, because as the green sign suggests, it used to a primary route. Formerly part of the A1, it became the A6125 when the A1 was diverted via the Tyne Tunnel in the 1970s and further re-numbered as the B1318 when the A1 was re-routed via the Western Bypass in the 1990s. (I think the B-number is used to try as persuade drivers onto other routes, as it's mainly a four-lane road with speed limits up to 50mph.)

The Edinburgh mileage will doubtless disappear if/when the sign is replaced, as I don't think other signs on the B1318 list anything north of Morpeth.

Source: SABRE

 

[deltic]

Tongue 66 miles Drumbeg coastal road Scotland

John O'Groats 85 miles on A9 after Inverness

 

[transmanche]

IIRC Scotch Corner is signed from a long way away and has no permanent population.

SABRE publishes a list of primary destinations. Scotch Corner is included simply because it's an important junction on the A1/A66 and - before the construction of the M6 - a good way to avoid the A6 over Shap.

 

[Howardh]

SABRE publishes a list of primary destinations. Scotch Corner is included simply because it's an important junction on the A1/A66 and - before the construction of the M6 - a good way to avoid the A6 over Shap.

Laxford Bridge in the Highlands; same kind of thing. Used to be an AA box there too IIRC - but nowt else!

 

[Ash Bridge]

This one is located on the A6 in central Stockport.

 

[hexagon789]

I'm in Scotland right now, and this got me thinking:

In Glasgow or Perth or Fort William, I keep seeing the small village of Crainlarich listed on road signs, and a distance of 60+ miles given to the place.

I'm looking for examples of very high mileages given to UK destinations on road signs.

So for instance, on the M6 near Preston / Lancaster there's a mileage given to Birmingham, at around 115 or 120 miles. And also, I've seen a similar mileage listed to Felixtowe, somewhere near the Warwickshire / Leicestershire border, I think it was. Also a distance of 119 miles given to Thurso, on the A99 just coming out of Inverness, if I remember correctly.

Apart from mileages to London, what other examples are there of given mileages on UK road signs of 100+ miles?

I'd particularly like to ask, what's the furthest mileage given to the smallest most insignificant town, on a UK road sign?

So, for example, are there any towns with a population of just a few thousand and there's a road sign listing a mileage of 70, 80 or 90+ miles?

Can anybody name a UK town / village with 1,000 population or less and there's a road sign to the place with a given mileage of 100+ miles?

Also, what's the highest mileage given to any destination on a UK road sign? I'm betting it's London. Anybody seen a road sign listing the distance to London as greater than 200 miles?

There used to be one in Carnoustie, Angus giving the distance to the twin town of Maule in France (1345 kilometres), not sure if it's still there.

It wasn't a UK style one though but a French style road sign.

 

[radamfi]

Britain is unusual in not putting important but distant locations on road signs. For example, on the southbound M6 in Cumbria you won't see signs for Birmingham or London. This may not seem like a big deal but it is surprising to foreigners.

 

[507021]

I remember a road sign in Liverpool city centre which listed Birmingham as a destination, although I can't remember exactly where it is/was (or if it's still there).

 

[45rpm]

Are we including the gimmicky sign-posts at Land`s End & John o`Groats?

 

[najaB]

Off topic since it's not distance sign, but I always find this one interesting:https://goo.gl/maps/HAwzKbF84372

(No stopping for 124 miles.)

 

[krus_aragon]

Or how about old milestones? Here's a good example from Shropshire: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1720249

 

[Busaholic]

There's still an old AA sign in Goldsithney, a village to the east of Penzance in Cornwall, giving the distance to London. From memory, it's either 278 0r 287 miles, with the all important addition of a half mile at the end of the figure. If anyone's interested, I go through the village most days and can check it. Then, of course, you have to know where in London it's measured to and by which route.

 

[Bald Rick]

Or how about old milestones? Here's a good example from Shropshire: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1720249

I’ve never seen Shifnal spelt like that!

 

[Bald Rick]

I’m reasonably sure there is a sign for Hinckley on the A5 somewhere near Dunstable.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Then, of course, you have to know where in London it's measured to and by which route.

The "where" in almost every case will be to the Eleanor Cross outside Charing Cross railway station.

As to the routes - no idea, but it would very likely be by whatever was the principal route at the time the sign was placed?

 

[Kite159]

there's a road sign to the place with a given mileage of 100+ miles?

Does this sign on the A303 near Andover saying that Exeter is a mere 101 miles away count?

 

[cf111]

A87 just south of Kyle of Lochalsh
Dornie - 8
Lochcarron - 23
Fort William - 76
Inverness - 83

From memory, the signs southbound from Uig only give mileage up to Kyle, a fairly hefty 49 miles.

A9 eastbound from Thurso:
Wick - 20
Latheron - 22
Helmsdale - 42
Brora - 53
Inverness - 110

 

[Busaholic]

Does this sign on the A303 near Andover saying that Exeter is a mere 101 miles away count?

No, because it's inaccurate! I only say this because I've compared it to my mileometer on successive cars over the years, by the only two routes that could logically be counted, and it understates it. I suppose it must all depend on where they reckon Exeter to be!

 

[jednick]

Just signs on A roads, B roads and motorways, I mean.

No signs like at Land's End "New York 3000 miles" etc.

 

[Kite159]

No, because it's inaccurate! I only say this because I've compared it to my mileometer on successive cars over the years, by the only two routes that could logically be counted, and it understates it. I suppose it must all depend on where they reckon Exeter to be!

And depends what roads have been built since that sign was put up.

Although randomly searching on Google Maps for "Exeter" to roughly where that sign is located and it suggests 102 miles via the A303 & A30, so depends what is classed as Exeter (the outskirts with the "Welcome to Exeter" signs, the cathedral/city centre etc)

 

[jednick]

Or how about old milestones? Here's a good example from Shropshire: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1720249

Or how about old milestones? Here's a good example from Shropshire: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1720249

Brilliant. Where exactly is Shropshire is that?

 

[thejuggler]

Pretty sure there's a sign on the A82 near Balloch which states Campbeltown is about 120 miles.

 

[jednick]

Pretty sure there's a sign on the A82 near Balloch which states Campbeltown is about 120 miles.

Yes you're right, I forgot that one. I've seen Campbeltown's mileage given on a road sign at that distance. I've done that journey twice by bus recently and, from memory, there's a sign even closer to Glasgow and saying 126 miles to Campbeltown.

 

[Cowley]

And depends what roads have been built since that sign was put up.

Although randomly searching on Google Maps for "Exeter" to roughly where that sign is located and it suggests 102 miles via the A303 & A30, so depends what is classed as Exeter (the outskirts with the "Welcome to Exeter" signs, the cathedral/city centre etc)

Just as an aside Kite.
If I threw a stone hard enough from our front bedroom window, I reckon I could hit the ‘Welcome to Exeter’ sign at the end of the lay-by outside...
Having driven up and down the A303 more times than I care to remember though, I have frequently wondered how accurate the mileages on those signs actually are?

 

[krus_aragon]

Brilliant. Where exactly is Shropshire is that?

See the link: as it's on Geograph it shows that it's near Shrewsbury's shire hall.

 

[thejuggler]

Yes you're right, I forgot that one. I've seen Campbeltown's mileage given on a road sign at that distance. I've done that journey twice by bus recently and, from memory, there's a sign even closer to Glasgow and saying 126 miles to Campbeltown.

And of course in the reverse direction just outside Campbelton - Oban 89, Glasgow 136 miles.

 

[DarloRich]

IIRC Scotch Corner is signed from a long way away and has no permanent population.

I think it does have a permanent population. There are farms, a static caravan site and a house very close although I am unsure how the new road layouts have impacted on that.

EDIT - they may give Middleton Tyas as their postal address?