Scotch Corner Explained

Country:GBR
Road Type:M
Scotch Corner
Location:Middleton Tyas, North Yorkshire
Coord:54.4426°N -1.669°W
Roads:
    Type:Roundabout interchange
    Maint:National Highways

    Scotch Corner is a junction of the A1(M) and A66 trunk roads near Richmond in North Yorkshire, England. It has been described as "the modern gateway to Cumbria, the North East and Scotland",[1] and is a primary destination signed from as far away as the M6 motorway, 500NaN0 away. The junction's name is derived from the fact that it is the point of divergence for traffic coming from London, the East Midlands and Yorkshire wishing to continue either to Edinburgh and eastern Scotland (along the A1(M)) or to Glasgow and western Scotland (by taking the A66).

    Geography

    The A1(M) leads north towards North East England and Scotland, and south towards London. The A66 leads north-west towards Penrith and the M6 motorway. There are also three other exits from the junction: the A6055 road north and south, with the southbound side leading to the A6108 towards the Yorkshire Dales and Richmond. The third exit is towards Middleton Tyas and Croft-on-Tees and is a minor road which also provides access to the services.

    Etymology and history

    The name originated from being the junction where the north–south Roman road known as "Dere Street", which crossed the River Tees at Piercebridge, met the Roman road which went west through Bowes and Brough.[2] It is where travellers to eastern Scotland (now via A1(M) and/or A68) are separated from travellers to western Scotland (now via A66 and M6/ A74(M)/M74).

    The Romans were responsible for building the first roads to meet at this point and the site of the original junction is just a few hundred yards away from the modern day intersection.[3] In AD 71 the Romans took control of the area when they defeated the Brigantes, a Celtic tribe at the Battle of Scotch Corner (1st century).[1] There was a major Roman settlement at Scotch Corner, with its own mint.[4]

    It is a landmark for planning and describing routes. For example, it is around from Leeds, providing a useful distance for cycling events.[5] It was used by cyclists for navigation.[6] It was in a fox hunting district, providing a means of identifying the location when reporting events.[7]

    The £8 million Scotch Corner diversion opened in July 1971, which created a grade separated junction on the A1.[8] [9] Later, a £380 million upgrade of the A1 between Leeming Bar and Barton Interchange meant that the road was upgraded to three-lane motorway standard in March 2018.[10] This created the opportunity for further archaeological investigation.[11] [12]

    Facilities

    The Three Tuns coaching inn stood at Scotch Corner from the 1820s.[13] [14] The inn subsequently became a roadhouse in the early days of motorised travel. It was demolished in 1939 when the road was widened.[2] The Scotch Corner Hotel was established there in 1939, built on the site of a mid-16th century inn and now operated by Holiday Inn.[15] Almost as soon as it was opened, part of the hotel was requisitioned by the Royal Air Force for convalescing airmen.[9] In 2011 it underwent a £3 million refurbishment.[16] [17]

    A Moto Hospitality service station, built in 1980, has an attached Travelodge motel.[18]

    In popular culture

    Jethro Tull refer to Scotch Corner in the title track of their 1976 album.

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Richmond and Swaledale History . Yorkshire-england.co.uk . 8 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120301121431/http://www.yorkshire-england.co.uk/Richmond.html. 1 March 2012. unfit.
    2. News: Lloyd . Chris . 12 March 2018 . History of Scotch Corner - once the site of a battle between Romans and Brigantes, 2,000 years ago . The Northern Echo . https://web.archive.org/web/20180313140547/http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/history/16081471.history-of-scotch-corner-once-the-site-of-a-battle-between-romans-and-brigantes-2000-years-ago/ . 13 March 2018 . live .
    3. Book: Tomlin . Roger Simon Ovin . Britannia Romana: Roman inscriptions and Roman Britain . 2018 . Oxbow Books . Oxford . 978-1-78570-700-1 . 268 . 10: Government and administrators.
    4. Web site: Roman treasures found on A1 . 10 April 2017 . Highways England, Government of the United Kingdom . https://web.archive.org/web/20170424221117/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/roman-treasures-found-on-a1 . 24 April 2017 . live .
    5. News: Hearth and Home: An Illustrated Weekly Journal for Gentlewomen . 26 October 1899. 27. 441. 14. There have been recently some remarkable bicycling feats by ladies. There have been recently some remarkable bicycling feats by ladies, and not the least remarkable is the feat of Mrs. W. Hargrave, of Leeds, who has established a world's record for a lady rider over an out and home course of a 100 miles in 6 hours 37 min. This Yorkshire lady rode the usual course-from the Post-office in Roundhay Road, Leeds, to Scotch corner and back.
    6. News: Cycling: An Illustrated Weekly. 18. 454. 30 September 1899. 20. Routes and replies: London to nearest point in Scotland. The old Glasgow coach road, i.e., Great North Road up to Scotch Corner, then by Bowes, over Stainmore, to Brough, and on by Appleby, Penrith, and Carlisle, to Gretna.
    7. News: Horse and Hound. The Earl of Zetland's. 10 November 1888. 5. 242. The first draw was Ledbury Park, where a fox soon was on foot, who took the field at a great pace by Scotch Corner and Gatherley Moor.
    8. http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/9th-july-1971/28/scotch-corner-interchange Scotch Corner interchange
    9. News: Lloyd . Chris . Life and Times of Scotch Corner Take a New Turn . Darlington & Stockton Times . 11–2018 . 16 March 2018 . 33. 2516-5348.
    10. News: Copeland. Alexa. A1(M) in North Yorkshire now fully open - But works not over just yet. 30 March 2018. The Northern Echo. 29 March 2018.
    11. NAA Monograph Series. 5. David W.. Fell. Northern Archaeological Associates. Contact, Concord and Conquest: Britons and Romans at Scotch Corner Digital Monograph. 2020. York. 10.5284/1078330.
    12. Book: Fell. D. W.. Johnson. P. G.. 2021. The Evolution of Dere Street from Routeway to Motorway: Evidence from the Dishforth to Barton A1 Motorway Improvements. Northern Archaeological Associates. 10.5284/1086871.
    13. News: Evening Chronicle. Beamish Museum's 1950s Town - here is what's happening next at the County Durham attraction. Barbara . Hodgson. 24 June 2019.
    14. Book: Silk, Steve. The Great North Road: London to Edinburgh. 234. Summersdale. 2021. 978-1800070493.
    15. Web site: Domesday Reloaded: Scotch Corner Hotel . BBC . 8 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120315032724/https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-420000-504000/page/16. 15 March 2012.
    16. News: Amos . Mike . 31 January 2012 . Third degree burns . The Northern Echo . https://web.archive.org/web/20140323210851/http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/columnists/mikeamos/mikeamos/9503415.print/ . 23 March 2014 . dead .
    17. Web site: Holiday Inn, Scotch Corner . Projekt Architects . https://web.archive.org/web/20180313151748/http://projektarchitects.com/architects/portfolio/leisure/holiday-inn-scotch-corner/ . 13 March 2018 . live .
    18. Web site: Domesday Reloaded: Highway Service Station . BBC . 8 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120318165827/https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-420000-504000/page/18. 18 March 2012.

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