Hungerford Bridge, River Thames, London, England

The A400 road is an A road in London that runs from Charing Cross (near

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...

, in London's West End) to Archway in North London. It passes some of London's most famous landmarks. The

Northern line The Northern line is a London Underground line that runs from North London to South London. It is printed in black on the Tube map. The Northern line is unique on the Underground network in having two different routes through central London, tw ...

( Charing Cross and

High Barnet Chipping Barnet or High Barnet is a suburban market town in north London, forming part of the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is a suburban development built around a 12th-century settlement, and is located north-northwest of Charing Cr ...

branches) runs beneath the A400 between Charing Cross and Archway stations. Between Charing Cross and Euston Road ( Inner Ring Road), the road is in the London Congestion Charge zone.

Route

City of Westminster

At its southern end, the A400 begins in the City of Westminster at a junction with the

Victoria Embankment Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and river-walk along the north bank of the River Thames in London. It runs from the Palace of Westminster to Blackfriars Bridge in the City of London, and acts as a major thoroughfare ...

, opposite the Hungerford (Charing Cross) Bridge. There is no vehicular access to the bridge, which provides pedestrians with a route over the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

to the South Bank. At the junction, a separate set of traffic lights is provided for cyclists, who may cross between the A400 and

Cycle Superhighway 3 Cycle Superhighway 3 (CS3) is a cycle path in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the Cycleway network coordinated by TfL. It runs from Barking in the east to Lancaster Gate in central London. It is a popular route with both commuter and le ...

with little conflict with other road traffic.

Embankment tube station Embankment is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster, known by various names during its history. It is served by the Circle, District, Northern and Bakerloo lines. On the Bakerloo line and the Charing Cross branch of the Norther ...

is to the north of the junction. The route runs westbound along

Northumberland Avenue Northumberland Avenue is a street in the City of Westminster, Central London, running from Trafalgar Square in the west to the Thames Embankment in the east. The road was built on the site of Northumberland House, the London home of the Percy ...

towards

. Here the route meets

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Sq ...

, the A4 (

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

Cockspur Street Cockspur Street is a short street in the City of Westminster, London, within which a very short part of Trafalgar Square links Charing Cross to Pall Mall/Pall Mall East at the point where that road changes name, opposite the traffic exit from ...

), and the Mall. The A400 travels north from Trafalgar Square along St. Martin's Place and Charing Cross Road. The route meets the A401 (

Shaftesbury Avenue Shaftesbury Avenue is a major road in the West End of London, named after The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It runs north-easterly from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. From Piccadilly C ...

) at Cambridge Circus, after which the route continues northwards to

Tottenham Court Road station Tottenham Court Road is a London Underground and Elizabeth line station in St Giles in the West End of London. The station is served by the Central line, the Elizabeth line and the branch of the Northern line. The station is located at St Gil ...

, where it meets

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and ...

(the A40). Here, the road enters the

London Borough of Camden The London Borough of Camden () is a London borough in Inner London. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the area of the former boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn, and ...

London Borough of Camden

From the tube station, the route runs northwards along

Tottenham Court Road Tottenham Court Road (occasionally abbreviated as TCR) is a major road in Central London, almost entirely within the London Borough of Camden. The road runs from Euston Road in the north to St Giles Circus in the south; Tottenham Court Road t ...

Warren Street tube station Warren Street is a London Underground station, located at the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Euston Road and named after adjoining Warren Street. It is part of the Northern and Victoria lines and although it is relatively used less t ...

, where it meets the

London Inner Ring Road The London Inner Ring Road, or Ring Road as signposted, is a route with an average diameter of formed from a number of major roads that encircle Central London. The ring road forms the boundary of the London congestion charge zone, although t ...

( Euston Road). Southbound traffic is carried along Gower Street, then along Shaftesbury Avenue to Cambridge Circus, to continue southbound along Charing Cross Road. After Warren Street station, the A400 becomes a dual carriageway, part-way along Hampstead Road, as it passes through Somers Town. Hampstead Road's northern terminus is at

Mornington Crescent tube station Mornington Crescent is a London Underground station in Somers Town in north west London, named after the nearby street. The station is on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line, between and stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 2. The ...

, and northbound A400 traffic travels along Camden High Street to the Britannia Junction. At the Britannia Junction, the A400 bears north-east onto Kentish Town Road. Camden High Street becomes the A502 towards Hampstead, whilst traffic may turn right onto the A503 (

Camden Road Camden Road is a main road in London running from the junction of Camden High Street and Camden Town Underground station up to Holloway Road. It is part of the A503 which continues east as Tollington Road. History The route was created and ...

). Southbound traffic through Camden Town leaves Kentish Town Road near Camden Gardens. Traffic travels south along Camden Street, along which it meets the A503 (Camden Road) and the A4200 (Eversholt Street). Southbound traffic joins Hampstead Road to the south of Mornington Crescent tube station. Continuing north, the A400 passes through Kentish Town. It then continues along Fortess Road towards

Tufnell Park Tufnell Park is an area in north London, England, in the London boroughs of Islington and Camden. The neighborhood is served by Tufnell Park tube station on the Northern Line. History Origins and boundary ;Medieval and later manor Tufnel ...

. In the London Borough of Camden, the A400 is controlled by Transport for London between Euston and

Camden Town tube station Camden Town is a London Underground station on the Northern line. It is a major junction for the line, as it is where the Edgware and High Barnet branches merge from the north, and is also where they split to the south into the Bank and Charin ...

. This section of the road is a "

Red Route On United Kingdom roads, the term red route may refer to a stretch of road with painted red lines signifying that vehicles cannot stop there, or to a road which has historically high accident rates. Painted lines Red routes are major roads wit ...

London Borough of Islington

The route enters the

London Borough of Islington The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington has ...

and becomes

Junction Road Junction Road may refer to: * Junction Road, Hong Kong Junction Road () is a road in Kowloon, Hong Kong which runs between Kowloon City and Kowloon Tong. History The streets in Kowloon City, including Junction Road, were laid out in the late ...

between Tufnell Park and Archway, before it meets the A1.

Landmarks

Air pollution

Air pollution along the A400 varies. Air pollution is monitored by the City of Westminster, the London Borough of Camden, and the London Borough of Islington. Levels of

Nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is one of several nitrogen oxides. is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of nitric acid, millions of tons of which are produced each year for use primarily in the productio ...

(NO₂) sometimes exceed the Air Quality Objective, set by the UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) at 40

microgram In the metric system, a microgram or microgramme is a unit of mass equal to one millionth () of a gram. The unit symbol is μg according to the International System of Units (SI); the recommended symbol in the United States and United Kingdom whe ...

s per metres cubed (μg/m³). Exposure to high levels of NO₂ can lead to respiratory problems, and the gases sometimes inflame the lining of the lungs, reducing immunity to

lung infections The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of ...

. In the City of Westminster, there is a nearby NO₂ monitoring point entitled Oxford Street East. In 2018, levels of NO₂ failed to meet the Air Quality Objective, with the monitoring point recording an annual mean of 76 μg/m^3. In the London Borough of Camden, levels of NO₂ are monitored in several locations in close proximity to the A400. Results from 2018 include: * Bloomsbury - 36 μg/m³ * Tottenham Court Road - 65.7 μg/m³ * Euston Road - 82.34 μg/m^³ * Kentish Town Road - 54.7 μg/m³ In the London Borough of Islington, a monitoring point along Junction Road recorded an annual mean 36 μg/m^3 in 2018, down from 42 μg/m^3 in 2017.

Hampstead Road

Hampstead Road is a road in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England, stretching over a kilometre between Bloomsbury and Camden Town. It is signed as the A400. Hampstead Road terminates at Euston Road in the south, where it continues as

and (via a slip road) Gower Street. In the north, at

Mornington Crescent Mornington Crescent is a terraced street in Camden Town, Camden, London, England. It was built in the 1820s, on a greenfield site just to the north of central London. Many of the houses were subdivided into flats during the Victorian era, an ...

, Hampstead Road becomes Camden High Street. For most of its length, Hampstead Road is sandwiched between Regent's Park Estate to the west and Euston railway station to its east. In addition, from south to north on Hampstead Road are

Euston Tower Euston Tower is a skyscraper located on Euston Road in the London Borough of Camden The London Borough of Camden () is a London borough in Inner London. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was establish ...

, the Camden People's Theatre, Drummond Street, the former

Maria Fidelis Roman Catholic Convent School Maria Fidelis Catholic School FCJ is a Roman Catholic co-educational secondary school in the London Borough of Camden, England. It was founded by the Faithful Companions of Jesus. History The school was founded in 1830 by the Faithful Companio ...

(recently relocated due to HS2), the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

pub, the

St Pancras Female Orphanage The St Pancras Female Orphanage is a former health facility in Somers Town, London. History The orphanage was established to care for female orphans in the local area in 1776. It was located in Hampstead Road where the foundation stone for prem ...

, and the

High Speed 2 High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway line in England, the first phase of which is under construction in stages and due for completion between 2029 and 2033, depending on approval for later stages. The new line will run from its m ...

terminus under construction at Euston (formerly site of the

National Temperance Hospital The National Temperance Hospital was a hospital in Hampstead Road, London, between Mornington Crescent and Warren Street. History The hospital opened as the London Temperance Hospital on 6 October 1873 by initiative of the National Temperance Lea ...

). Hampstead Road then crosses the

West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...

, before forming the western boundary of the Ampthill Square Estate and the western side of

Harrington Square Harrington (or Harington) may refer to: People as a surname *Harrington (surname) People as a forename *Arthur Raikes (Arthur Edward Harington Raikes, 1867–1915), British army officer *Charles Harrington Elster, American writer *Edward Joseph ...

, passing on the left the Carreras Building, and on the right

, then joining Camden High Street at the statue of

Richard Cobden Richard Cobden (3 June 1804 – 2 April 1865) was an English Radical and Liberal politician, manufacturer, and a campaigner for free trade and peace. He was associated with the Anti-Corn Law League and the Cobden–Chevalier Treaty. As a you ...

. Hampstead Road used to run north to Hampstead, but has been renamed everywhere north of Mornington Crescent. Nonetheless, it still gave its name to Hampstead Road Locks and the original name of

Primrose Hill railway station Primrose Hill was a railway station in Chalk Farm, in the London Borough of Camden, opened by the North London Railway as Hampstead Road in 1855. It was named Chalk Farm from 1862 until 1950, when it was given its final name. From the 1860s to 1 ...

, which are both on the former part of Hampstead Road now called Chalk Farm Road. Numbers 261–263, the Prince of Wales pub at number 119, Mornington Crescent tube station, and the statue of Richard Cobden are all grade II listed buildings.

Camden High Street

Camden_Town_-_Camden_High_St_-_July_2006

Camden High Street is a short stretch of road (about 900m long, mostly forming part of the A400) in Camden Town, in north-northwest

. It is part of the route from central London to Hampstead. It is the local

high street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...

and features major music venues at either end ( KOKO, the former Camden Palace, at the southern end and the bridge over

Regent's Canal Regent's Canal is a canal across an area just north of central London, England. It provides a link from the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, north-west of Paddington Basin in the west, to the Limehouse Basin and the River Thames in e ...

at the northern end). It is a

one-way street One-way traffic (or uni-directional traffic) is traffic that moves in a single direction. A one-way street is a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction. One-way streets typical ...

only allowing vehicular traffic to travel northwards (southbound traffic uses the parallel Camden Street). Travelling north, traffic emerges from Hampstead Road (A400) into the High Street at the junction with Eversholt Street, by Mornington Crescent Underground station. The northern extremity of Camden High Street lies at a bridge over

where the road turns Chalk Farm Road, into the southern end Kentish Town Road (where the A400 continues) and

. Camden Town Underground station is on the corner between Camden High Street and Kentish Town Road.

Junction Road

Junction Road is a section of the

A400 road A4 most often refers to: * A4 paper, a paper size defined by the ISO 216 standard, measuring 210 × 297 mm A4 and variants may also refer to: Science and mathematics * British NVC community A4 (''Hydrocharis morsus-ranae - Stratiotes aloid ...

Upper Holloway Upper Holloway is a district in the London Borough of Islington, London, centred on the upper part of Holloway Road and Junction Road. It is served by the Overground at Upper Holloway Station and the Northern Line at Archway Station. History ...

, north London, running between

Archway tube station Archway is a London Underground station at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill, Junction Road and Archway Road in Archway, north London, directly underneath the Vantage Point building. It is on the High Barnet branch of the Nor ...

(at the top of

Holloway Road Holloway Road is a road in London, in length. It is one of the main shopping streets in North London, and carries the A1 road as it passes through Holloway, in the London Borough of Islington. The road starts in Archway, near Archway Under ...

) and Tufnell Park tube station (where the A400 continues southwards as Fortess Road). The street has a number of restaurants, bars and pubs. Junction Road is home to Archway Tower, a building whose appearance is divisive and there is debate as to whether it should be demolished. However, the tower was remodelled in the 2010s with new cladding providing a more modern appearance.

Junction Road railway station Junction Road railway station (originally Junction Road for Tufnell Park) was a railway station in London (1872-1943). The station was opened by the Tottenham & Hampstead Junction Railway. It was at the corner of Junction Road and its purpose- ...

stood on the corner of Junction Road and Station Road until its closure in 1943. It was on what is now

London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, (via archive.org). it now serves a large part of Greater London as w ...

's Gospel Oak to Barking line, between Gospel Oak station and

Upper Holloway station Upper Holloway railway station is in Holloway, north London (N19). It is on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, from (measured via Kentish Town and Mortimer Street Junction) and is situated between Gospel Oak and . It is operated by London Overg ...

. The postal district is N19.

References

{{Reflist Roads in London