MT 39/246

CLASSIFICATION: Re-numbering of classified routes

Date range	1933 - 1942
Location	National Archives (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry
File base	Series MT, subseries MT 39

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This file is truly delightful. It is likely to bring a smile to your face, probably because it contains the sort of thing that makes trawling through dusty archive documents worthwhile. The thing in this file that makes your day might actually have nothing to do with its subject matter.

This file deals with the major renumbering of classified roads that came into effect on 1st April 1935 for England and Wales, and 16th May 1935 for Scotland as covered by the 1935 road numbering revision page on SABRE.

This really does exactly what it says on the tin. It covers absolutely everything from old favourites like the current A303 and the truncation of the A32, to lots of obscure 4 digit B roads throughout the country in painstaking detail.

It also includes a few draft renumbering plans that were abandoned, such as:

• Extending the (then) A42 north towards Stafford, and then taking the A449 all the way to Salford - these, of course, ended up being replaced by the A34 taking this route instead.
• Extending the A35 westwards from Exeter (where it originally ended in 1935) to Penzance via the A379, A389 (now A38), A390, A39 and A394

But if that wasn't enough, it's also chock full of goodies, including:

• A complete list of traffic signs with diagrams c. 1935
• A number of 4 inch MOT maps of various areas in Britain c.1929, showing just classified roads
• A bona fide 1922-23 MOT 1/2 inch map of Salisbury (sheet 33)

People with camera copies

Ritchie Swann has a few camera copies of some of the maps, and a sizeable amount (but by no means all) of the renumbering lists.