The section of road between Markham Moor and Red House north of Doncaster which runs through the centre of Doncaster was originally the A1 before the Doncaster Bypass, a section of A1(M) was built.
The road used to continue to Odsal Top in Bradford but the road between Chain Bar and Odsal (Cleckheaton Road) has been de-classified from an A road.
Route
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The route starts off as a non-trunk road at the Markham Moor interchange (previously a roundabout before 2008) in West Drayton. Previous to 1967, the A1 approached from the south on what is now the B1164. Previous to 1958, this small section would have been the A1, where it would have met the A57 from Lincoln opposite the Markham Moor Hotel then both roads were concurrent for a hundred yards, then the A57 took the road through West Drayton. When the West Drayton diversion opened in February 1957 (including the roundabout) as the A57, the A1 still went through Retford, until August 1961.
Retford Oaks High School on a new site) opposite the EssoKing Edwards Service Station, and there is a left turn for Albert Road (B6044), the main access for Retford railway station. It crosses the Cuckoo Way and the Chesterfield Canal as Arlington Way, passes the Sherwood Centre, the Bassetlaw Museum,[1] and St. Swithun's church, and the A620 leaves to the north (for Gainsborough) at traffic lights. As Amcott Way it crosses the River Idle with Morrisons on the west bank of the river, and the A620 (for Worksop) leaves to the west at a roundabout. This part of Retford is West Retford. As North Road it passes the TexacoNorth Road Service Station (next to a Co-op), Retford Hospital
, then the ambulance station on the right hand side.
Ye Olde Bell at Barnby Moor on the Great North Road
There is the Sutton Cross Roads for
Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
.
Meeting the A614 south of Bawtry
On the left hand side is
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield) as a non-trunk road, but the A638 continues to the left as a trunk road. It passes Bawtry library,[2] and continues as a straight road most of the way to Doncaster, crossing the ECML, from the right. Bawtry was a Roman town between Lincoln and Doncaster on a branch of Ermine Street, and the A638 (former A1) follows all the way through Doncaster to the A1. It is the parish boundary between Bawtry to the left and Austerfield to the east, under the flight path of Robin Hood Airport to the north-east, then from the Blackfirs RSPCA South Yorkshire Animal Centre,[3] the boundary with Rossington to the left. From the Best Western Mount Pleasant Hotel, it is the boundary with Auckley to the east. At Warren House Farm near Hurst Plantation, there is a main right turn for the airport, where the A638 enters the parish of Rossington, deviating from the Ermine Street to the west. It meets Sheep Bridge Lane (B6387) for Rossington to the left, at a Park and Ride on the left hand side next to Rossington Bridge Farm. Crossing the River Torne
, it enters Doncaster itself. The club house for Doncaster Golf Club (The Warren golf course) is on the left.
Crossing the M18 at Bessacarr
. At a large roundabout, it rejoins the former Ermine Street, and the A19 leaves to the north-east where a railway line crosses over the road.
Doncaster to Wakefield
B1220) next to the Highwayman. It passes through Woodlands and then Adwick le Street. It meets the A1 and A1(M) at the Red House Interchange junction 38, formerly a roundabout before 1979. Ermine Street continues northwards along the A1. Before the bypass in August 1961, the A1 would have passed along the current A638 into Doncaster. Off the junction is a large distribution centre for B&Q
.
From the A1, the A638 becomes a single-carriageway road and follows its former route, before it was extended to follow the former A1 from
Dearne Valley Line
at a 13' 9 (4.2m) low bridge.
Nostell Bridge
It turns due west and enters
Huntwick with Foulby and Nostell it meets Garmill Lane (B6273) to the right, with a left turn for Nostell Priory. It passes through Nostell Park and across Upper Lake. It passes through Foulby, birthplace of John Harrison
, of longitude fame.
It crosses Windmill Hill, with a right turn for
Huddersfield Line, then passes retail parks and meets Denby Dale Road (A636) at a roundabout next to the Royal Mail sorting office. It passes under the ECML, meets another section of the A636 from the south near the Cathedral Retail Park and splits into two one-way sections around Albion Mills Retail Park, partly as Quebec Street. It continues to the west near the Westgate Retail Park, concurrent with the A642
, as Westgate End becoming single-carriageway. At Westgate Common, the road forks into Horbury Road (A642) to the south-west, and Dewsbury Road (A638) due west at St Michael's church.
Wakefield to Bradford
The Ossett Bypass
It passes a
Shell Ossett and Roundwood Industrial Estate on the left, and becomes a dual-carriageway, built with the M1 junction 40 by Costain in October 1968. It passes a BP garage on the left, with the Leeds-Wakefield Holiday Inn on Queen's Drive, and the Silkwood Park[4] business park and the Days Hotel Wakefield on the right. It meets the M1 at a roundabout and continues to the west as a dual-carriageway, passing through Gawthorpe. The former A638 continues through Ossett as the B6129. It becomes the single-carriageway Chancery Road at a roundabout with Leeds Road (B6128). At Chickenley it meets the former route, becoming Wakefield Road, entering the borough of Kirklees
.
Huddersfield Line
in Dewsbury
At
Earlsheaton there is a crossroads, and the road descends down the Calder valley into Dewsbury passing the BPOssett Service Station. The A638 forms the Dewsbury Ring Road, with two sections – one trunked and one untrunked. The trunked section is Aldams Road, Vicarage Road and Rishworth Road, which meets Wilton Street (B6409). The untrunked section passes Dewsbury railway station and meets Leeds Road (A653). The two divide near Dewsbury Sainsbury's and the Rishworth Centre Retail Park. It passes under a railway bridge as Halifax Road, and passes a campus on the right of Kirklees College, the former Dewsbury Technical School of Art and Science. Further north it passes the Wheelwright Campus of Kirklees College – the former Wheelwright Grammar School for Boys. There is a left turn for Healds Road for Dewsbury and District Hospital. There is a crossroads for Dewsbury Gate Road near the EssoHalifax Road Garage in Staincliffe. It meets Batley Road (B6123) from the right next to the Junction Inn, becoming High Street. It passes Heckmondwike Grammar School and St James's church on the left, then passes through Heckmondwike town centre, meeting Market Street (B6117) from the left, and Northgate (B6117) from the right, passing Morrisons Heckmondwike on the left. It becomes Westgate and passes the imposing Flush Mills, home of Rieter
Automotive, who make car furnishings.
Northern terminus of the A638 at Cleckheaton
The road from here used to pass north through Oakenshaw, which runs parallel next to the M606, and then Low Moor. At the Odsal Top roundabout (with the A6036 and A641, for Huddersfield), the road that continues on the opposite side of the roundabout is the B6380, and continues to Horton Bank Top, meeting the A647 near Horton Bank Country Park.[7]
The M606 at one point was to be named the A638(M).[8]
