The A606 is an

A road A roads may be *motorways or freeways, usually where the local word for motorway begins with A (for example, ''Autobahn'' in German; ''Autostrada'' in Italian). * main roads or highways, in a system where roads are graded A, B and sometimes lower c ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

that starts in

West Bridgford West Bridgford is a town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Rushcliffe in the county of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of the city of Nottingham, from which the River Trent divides it. Forming part of the Nott ...

, on the outskirts of

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

, and heads southeastwards through

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

and the towns of

Melton Mowbray Melton Mowbray () is a town in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester, and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, known below Melton as the Wreake. The town had a population 27,670 in 2019. The town is sometimes promo ...

and

Oakham Oakham is the county town of Rutland in the East Midlands of England, east of Leicester, south-east of Nottingham and west of Peterborough. It had a population of 10,922 in the 2011 census, estimated at 11,191 in 2019. Oakham is to the west o ...

, terminating at

Stamford, Lincolnshire Stamford is a town and civil parish in the South Kesteven District of Lincolnshire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 19,701 and estimated at 20,645 in 2019. The town has 17th- and 18th-century stone buildings, older timber-framed ...

on the former Great North Road.

History

The route in earlier times was a far more important route than it is today. It was the main road from Nottingham to London. The turnpike went from Nottingham via Melton and Oakham to

Kettering Kettering is a market and industrial town in North Northamptonshire, England. It is located north of London and north-east of Northampton, west of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene. The name means "the place (or territory) of Ket ...

(to join today's A6), and then on to London, run by the Nottingham, Melton and Kettering Turnpike Trust from 1758. The turnpike trusts were abolished in 1880, the year that the railway line to Melton opened. The trains would run until 1968.

Route

Nottingham to Melton

The road begins a few hundred yards south of Nottinghamshire County Hall (built in 1937), in

in the district of

Rushcliffe Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. The population of the Local Authority at the 2011 Census was 111,129. Its councilRushcliffe Borough CouncilA60 (for Loughborough) and the B679 (for

Wilford Wilford is a village in the city of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. The village is to the northeast of Clifton, southwest of West Bridgford, northwest of Ruddington and southwest of Nottingham city centre. It is at a meander of the Rive ...

). The section to Melton follows the former railway from Nottingham to Melton, now the

Old Dalby Test Track The Old Dalby Test Track is a railway in the United Kingdom which is used for testing new designs of trains and railway infrastructure. It runs between Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and Edwalton, on the course of the Midland Railway's route betw ...

, and to the A46 junction is only a few hundred metres apart. The line then continued from Melton to Oakham, then on to Corby and Kettering, and was the fastest route to

by train from St Pancras. It followed the exact line of the former

turnpike Turnpike often refers to: * A type of gate, another word for a turnstile * In the United States, a toll road Turnpike may also refer to: Roads United Kingdom * A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...

. It begins as ''Melton Road'', and passes two churches then crosses the former railway line to Melton, and the BP ''Melton Road Filling Station''. There is traffic lights at a crossroad for ''Valley Road'', to the left, and ''Boundary Road'', to the right (for Rushcliffe Leisure Centre and

Rushcliffe School ''Consistency and effort'' , established = 1961 (grammar school) 1969 (comprehensive school) 2012 (academy) , closed = , type = Academy , trust = Spencer Academies Trust ...

). In

Edwalton Edwalton is an area of West Bridgford in the Borough of Rushcliffe, in Nottinghamshire, England, covering Gamston and the older Edwalton village. The population of the Rushcliffe Ward was 3,908 at the 2011 Census. A 2019 estimate put it at 4, ...

, the road then crosses the former railway, where a few hundred metres further south it is still accessible by train. To the right is Wheatcrofts garden centre (started by

Harry Wheatcroft Harry Wheatcroft (1898–1977) was a famous English rose grower. He did a great deal to popularise roses among British gardeners. He was known for his flamboyant appearance and opinions. Early life Wheatcroft was born at 23 Handel Street, ...

) and the road meets the A52 at a busy roundabout, where the road exits to the east as a trunk road. A606 at Tollerton - geograph

There is a 14 ft 6 in low bridge (the former railway), so there is a turning point for high vehicles. For the next mile the road is the parish boundary between Tollerton to the left, and Plumtree, to the right. It passes Tollerton post office and there is traffic lights for ''Tollerton Lane'' (for

Nottingham Airport Nottingham Airport , also known as Nottingham City Airport, is located in Tollerton, Nottinghamshire, Tollerton, Nottinghamshire, England. It is situated south east of Nottingham City Centre, and signposted on the A52 road, A52 at Trent Brid ...

), where there is the TOTAL ''Lane End Garage''. The road becomes the parish boundary between Plumtree and

Normanton-on-the-Wolds Normanton-on-the-Wolds is a small village in Nottinghamshire, England. Population in 2011 was 245. Acreage 1053. Overview The name "Normanton" (Norwegian's village – Place Names of Nottinghamshire, Gover, Mawer and Stenton (intro pxx)) is at ...

, to the left. The former A606 used to go through both villages before 1930. At the end of the joint bypass, there is a right turn for the

British Geological Survey The British Geological Survey (BGS) is a partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research. The BGS h ...

. It passes through Stanton-on-the-Wolds. At the junction for

Keyworth Keyworth is a large Village of Nottinghamshire, England. It is located about 6 miles (11 km) southeast of the centre of Nottingham. It sits on a small, broad hilltop about 200 feet above sea level which is set in the wider undulating bould ...

, there is the Murco ''Wolds Service Station''. At a crossroads, there is access to

Widmerpool Widmerpool is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, about 10 miles south-south-east of Nottingham and some 7.5 miles north-east of Loughborough. It is one of Nottinghamshire's oldest settlements and is just over a mile west of the A46 ...

, to the right, and the former Widmerpool railway station. The road meets the dual-carriageway A46 at an interchange. This point is the southern end of the A46 Newark to Widmerpool Improvement. A606 on Broughton Hill - geograph

At Hickling Pastures, it passes Turnpike Farm, and there is a left turn for Hickling. The road becomes more hilly, and it passes through Upper Broughton and its ''Golden Fleece''. Crossing the Dalby Brook, the road enters

and the district of Melton. In Broughton and Old Dalby, it passes through

Nether Broughton Nether Broughton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Broughton and Old Dalby, in the Melton district, in Leicestershire, England. Broughton and Old Dalby's parish council is based in Nether Broughton. The village lies o ...

, and its ''Anchor Inn'' and ''Red House''. The road is crossed by a pylon line, and ascends Broughton Hill where the road rises 80 metres in 0.5 km. Ab Kettleby, The Sugar Loaf

On the top of the hill, there are crossroads, which is highest point of the road at 171 metres, for a former Roman road (''Six Hills Lane'') that follows the northern ridge of the wolds, where the right turn is for Wartnaby. The road descends down a hill into

Ab Kettleby Ab Kettleby is a village and civil parish in the Melton district of Leicestershire, England, located north of Melton Mowbray, on the A606 road. It had a population of 501 in 2001; at the 2011 census this had increased to 529. It is situat ...

, the former home of

Desert Orchid Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 – 13 November 2006), known as ''Dessie'', was an English racehorse. The gray (horse), grey achieved a revered and esteemed status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his fron ...

, passing the ''Sugar Loaf'' on the left. The road descends down the side of a valley and up onto Potter Hill. At this point the road enters the parish of

as ''Nottingham Road''. It passes the

Esso Esso () is a trading name for ExxonMobil. Originally, the name was primarily used by its predecessor Standard Oil of New Jersey after the breakup of the original Standard Oil company in 1911. The company adopted the name "Esso" (the phonetic p ...

''Brookside Service Station'' and the headquarters of East Midlands Councils, and Melton Borough Council on the right. It meets the A607 and A6006 at traffic lights and crossroads. Previously the road went straight through the town centre, which is now pedestrianised as ''Nottingham Street''. The southbound road now follows the A607 to the east on ''Norman Way'', then follows ''Thorpe End'' and ''Sherrard Street'' to the west, in a convoluted route through the town centre. The northbound route follows ''Leicester Street'' then ''Wilton Road''. Both meet at an awkward junction at the ''Anne of Cleves'', onto '' Burton Road''.

Melton to Stamford

Potter Hill near Melton Mowbray - geograph

The road passes

Melton Mowbray railway station Melton Mowbray railway station serves the market town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England. It is owned by Network Rail and operated by East Midlands Railway, though CrossCountry operates most of the services as part of its to route. T ...

, and crosses the Birmingham to Peterborough Line and the River Eye. The road climbs the side of the River Eye's valley out of Melton, passing the former King Edward VII School. In

Burton and Dalby Burton and Dalby is a civil parish in the Melton district of Leicestershire, England, to the south of Melton Mowbray. It covers the villages of Burton Lazars, Great Dalby and Little Dalby Little Dalby is a village and former civil parish, ...

it passes through

Burton Lazars Burton Lazars is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Burton and Dalby, in the Melton district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. It is south-east of Melton Mowbray, having a population of c.450 in 2015. It is the s ...

, and St James church, and is crossed by the

Jubilee Way A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...

. At crossroads there is a left turn for

Whissendine Whissendine is a village and civil parish in Rutland, England, north-west of the county town, Oakham. The population at the 2001 census was 1,189, increasing to 1,253 at the 2011 census. The village's name either means 'valley of Hwicce' or ...

, and a right turn for

Little Dalby Little Dalby is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Burton and Dalby, in the Melton district, in the county of Leicestershire, England. It is south-east of Melton Mowbray. In 1931 the parish had a population of 118. On 1 ...

. In Somerby at the top of Leesthorpe Hill, there is the ''Leesthorpe Crossroads]'', with a right turn for

Leesthorpe Leesthorpe is a hamlet (place), hamlet in the civil parish of Somerby, Leicestershire, Somerby, in the Borough of Melton, Melton district, in the English county of Leicestershire. Leesthorpe is located in the north east of the county close to t ...

and

Pickwell Pickwell is a small, hill-crest village south-east of Melton Mowbray in the Borough of Melton, Melton district, in Leicestershire which used to have an ecclesiastical parish of its own and is since the early 20th century has been in the civil ...

. The road climbs to the top of a hill, where it becomes the boundary between Rutland (to the left) and

(to the right), reaching 160 metres at Green's Lodge. Rutland became independent in April 1997. Leaving the Rutland boundary, the road descends to reach Whissendine Brook, and there is a left turn for Whissendine, and a right turn for

Cold Overton Cold Overton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Knossington and Cold Overton, in the Melton district of Leicestershire, England. It is close to the border with Rutland, and approximately west from the market and county ...

and Northfield Farm (both in Leicestershire). In Langham it ascends the side of Ranksborough Hill (at 191 metres, the second highest in Rutland), to reach 166 metres. Descending down the hill, it passes a right turn for Ranksborough Hall, an activity centre. In Langham, there is an abrupt turn to the left and one to the right, where it meets a road from Cold Overton.

Ruddles Brewery Ruddles Brewery (G. Ruddle & Co) was a brewery in Rutland, England. The brand is now owned by Greene King who still brew beers under the Ruddles name in Suffolk, although the current recipes are not those used at the original brewery. The brewe ...

was based here before 1997 – the year Rutland finally became independent. As ''Oakham Road'' it meets a roundabout for the bypass in

Barleythorpe Barleythorpe is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is located about a mile (1.6 km) north-west of Oakham. The population at the 2001 census was 178, increasing to 207 at the 2011 census. ...

. The former route through Oakham is now the B640. The £11.6 million bypass opened on Wednesday 10 January 2007, with construction having started in October 2005. The contract had been awarded to Alfred McAlpine Civil Engineering in June 2003. The next roundabout is for the

Lands' End Lands' End is an American clothing and home decor retailer founded in 1963 and based in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, that specializes in casual clothing, luggage, and home furnishings. The majority of the company's business is conducted through mail o ...

clothing company. It crosses the Birmingham to Peterborough Line, and there is a roundabout for the B668 ('' Burley Road''), close to a

Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...

Co-op superstore. The Danish Invader - geograph

The bypass is crossed by the

Hereward Way The Hereward Way is a long-distance footpath in England that links the Viking Way at Oakham with the Peddars Way at Knettishall Heath, near Thetford. The path takes its name from Hereward the Wake, the 11th-century rebel leader who fought again ...

, and at the A6003 roundabout the A6003 leaves to the south for

Uppingham Uppingham is a market town in Rutland, England, off the A47 between Leicester and Peterborough, south of the county town, Oakham. It had a population of 4,745 according to the 2011 census, estimated at 4,853 in 2019. It is known for its ep ...

, and the A606 leaves to the left (east). From here to

Barnsdale Barnsdale, or Barnsdale Forest, is an area of South and West Yorkshire, England. The area falls within the modern-day districts of Doncaster and Wakefield. Barnsdale was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Barnsdale lies in the ...

, the road is followed by the

Viking Way The Viking Way is a long distance trail in England running between the Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire and Oakham in Rutland. History The route was officially opened on Sunday 5 September 1976 at Tealby, by the Deputy Chairman of Lincoln ...

and the Macmillan Way. There is a right turn for Hambleton (and Hambleton Hall), which is the former route of the road. When

Rutland Water Rutland Water is a reservoir in Rutland, England, east of Rutland's county town, Oakham. It is filled by pumping from the River Nene and River Welland, and provides water to the East Midlands. By surface area it is the largest reservoir in En ...

was built, the A606 was diverted to the north. The road passes on the north shore of Rutland Water, and the southern edge of Burley Wood. In the parish of Whitwell, at Barnsdale crossroads, there is a right turn for Barnsdale Hall Hotel and Country Club, and Barnsdale Lodge. The road passes through Whitwell, where it is crossed by the

, and passes ''The Noel'' (''Noel Arms''). The road reaches the end of

, the largest reservoir (by surface area) in the UK, owned by

Anglian Water Anglian Water is a water company that operates in the East of England. It was formed in 1989 under the partial Water privatisation in England and Wales, privatisation of the water industry. It provides water supply, sewerage and sewage treatment ...

, and passes through

Empingham Empingham is a village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. The population of the civil parish was 815 at the 2001 census including Horn and increasing to 880 at the 2011 census. It lies close to the dam of Rutland Water ...

, where it is crossed by the Rutland Round. It crosses the

River Gwash The River Gwash, occasionally Guash, a tributary of the River Welland, flows through the English counties of Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire. It rises just outside the village of Knossington in Leicestershire, near the western edge of ...

, and is crossed by the

. At

Tinwell Tinwell is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. The population at the 2001 census was 209, increasing to 234 at the 2011 census. Village The village's name origin is dubious. Possibly, 'spring/str ...

, it meets the A1 at an interchange built in 1960. It enters

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

South Kesteven South Kesteven is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Lincolnshire, England, forming part of the traditional Kesteven division of the county. It covers Bourne, Lincolnshire, Bourne, Grantham, Market Deeping and Stamford, Li ...

, and Stamford as ''Empingham Road'' losing its trunk road status, passing the Malcolm Sargent Primary School (former Exeter

secondary modern school A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usually ...

), on the left, and the ''Danish Invader'', on the right. There is a right turn for ''Roman Bank'' (former

Ermine Street Ermine Street is a major Roman road in England that ran from London (''Londinium'') to Lincoln (''Lindum Colonia'') and York (''Eboracum''). The Old English name was ''Earninga Strǣt'' (1012), named after a tribe called the ''Earningas'', ...

) and it reaches its terminus at ''Scotgate'' – the former Great North Road (B1081).

References

External links

SABRE

Nottinghamshire Turnpikes
{{DEFAULTSORT:6-0606 Borough of Melton Roads in England Roads in Lincolnshire South Kesteven District Stamford, Lincolnshire Transport in Leicestershire Transport in Nottinghamshire Transport in Rushcliffe Transport in Rutland