Jan and John Maggs Antiques

An Anglophile's Guide for Americans Traveling in The United Kingdom

English Roads

British drivers enjoy a thoughtfully planned and intelligently signposted highway system unparalleled on the planet. From its comprehensive system of four-to-six-lane motorways down to the single-track roads that connect England's tiny villages with each other, the hands of its planners are (nearly) always in evidence.

Let's start with the motorways. Any long-distance journey in England should begin with a look at the motorway system. Several high-speed, well signposted highways connect the various areas of England, Scotland, and Wales, making even the most remote destinations available. On your road atlas, they're shown as blue lines. This is where you should begin.

We've just discovered an interesting map of the British motorway system. The map is base on the world-renowned map of the London Underground. Click here for a look.

The M6, from a bridge in West Berkshire.

England's 'A' roads form a second level. Whether with only two lanes without a median or with two lanes in each direction, separated by a median, they are usually a quick way to get from place to place, once you've left the motorway ('M" road), although congestion is inevitable, especially at rush hour times.

A two-lane section of an A road, somewhere in central England.

Click the map to go to the next page.