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The Remains of the A49 from Before the M65 was Constructed.

The Ghost Road remains of a small section of the A49

A Cat's eye on the Ghost Road remains of a small section of the A49 from before the M65 was constructed.
A Cat's eye on the Ghost Road remains of the A49



The A49 is a major north-south A road in western England that runs for almost 150 miles from Bamber Bridge in Lancashire to Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire. It was modified in the Cuerden area at the end of the last century. This was done during the creation of the M65 motorway, which was constructed in stages over a sixteen-year period, with building work starting in March 1978 and finishing with the final western connection in December 1997.

The original course of the road in this area was altered slightly to push it slightly further west and to straighten the section that now passes under the M65. Some of the A49s original path was built over by the M65 carriageways, but there is a short section that still remains after being cut off.  That lies within, or next to (dependant on landownership), an area to the north of Cuerden Park that was cut off from the the rest of the park during the same construction. The parkland was once park of the Cuerden Hall Estate, but is now park of Cuerden Valley Park, which is managed by the Cuerden Valley Park Trust. 

The section of 'Ghost Road' can be seen on satellite images of the area. 

The section of 'Ghost Road' can be seen on satellite images of the area.
The section of 'Ghost Road' can be seen on satellite images of the area. 

The section of road as it was before the changes for the motorway construction can be seen on pre 1990s Ordnance Survey maps. 

Ordnance Survey > 1:25,000 maps of Great Britain
Ordnance Survey Map SD52 - C//*
Publication date: 1955

The section of road as it was before the changes for the motorway construction can be seen on pre 1990s Ordnance Survey maps.
The section of road as it was before the changes on Ordnance Survey map 


https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16.3&lat=53.71837&lon=-2.66632&layers=10&right=ESRIWorld


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Over time, the tarmac of the old section of road is gradually being covered by moss, and a few saplings have seeded. They will eventually break up the surface as the trees develop.  It's taken a while to get to this state. I last photographed it in December 2024.

The Ghost Road remains of a small section of the A49 from before the M65 was constructed.
The Ghost Road remains of a small section of the A49

The road is blocked off to vehicle access by some large concrete blocks, but you can walk past them (or over them) and get onto the old road. I presume that it has been left this way to facilitate access to the National Grid electricity pylon that I now to the east of this area. 

The Ghost Road remains of a small section of the A49 from before the M65 was constructed.
The Ghost Road remains of a small section of the A49

It was apparent that there was once a milestone for the old Preston to Wigan road on this section. However, it appears to have been lost during the M65 construction work, if not before. It is denoted on the map as M.S - Preston 4 Wigan 13. The Ordnance Survey national grid maps (not related to the electricity national grid - it's a map grid system) from the 1960s do not show the milestone, so it appears to have been lost of destroyed with works around Friar's House on that stretch of road. Strangely, there was a benchmark on the milestone and later maps show a benchmark at a very similar height at Friar's House. The building has since been demolished.


These aerial photographs that were taken during the M65 construction in the mid 1990s show the original course of the A49 with a farmhouse on it. The new course of the road is in use across the motorway's path.  


Aerial photograph taken during the M65 construction in the mid 1990s shows the original course of the A49 with a farmhouse on it.
Photograph of original A49 course taken during M65 construction

The entrance to the old stretch of the A49 in front of  Friar's House (Farm) has been modified slightly, to make an junction with the new course of the road. The old route is cut of by the M65 construction. 

 

Aerial photograph taken during the M65 construction in the mid 1990s shows the original course of the A49 with a farmhouse on it.
Photograph of original A49 course taken during M65 construction


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Further reading and sources of information

M65 Construction Photos
How do you build a motorway? If you've ever wondered how it's done, or what goes on during the years it takes to build a new road, then here's a chance to see it first hand.
Chris Marshall - roads.org.uk

https://www.roads.org.uk/m65-construction-photos


Post on the Ghost roads - Abandoned, by-passed and roads to nowhere Facebook group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/296916515692062/permalink/1306277774755926


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Location: 21 Momentum Pl, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 6EF, UK

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