The A400 road 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 ...

in London that runs from

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been the notional "centre of London" and became the point from which distances from London are measured. ...

(near

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was established in the early-19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, the Royal Navy, ...

, 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 between North London and South London. It is printed in black on the Tube map. It carries more passengers per year than any other Underground linearound 340million in 2019making it the bu ...

(

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 C ...

branches) runs beneath the A400 between

and Archway stations. Between Charing Cross and

Euston Road Euston Road is a road in Central London that runs from Marylebone Road to Kings Cross, London, King's Cross. The route is part of the London Inner Ring Road and forms part of the London congestion charge zone boundary. It is named after Euston ...

( Inner Ring Road), the road is in the

London Congestion Charge The London congestion charge is a fee charged on most cars and motor vehicles being driven within the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ) in Central London between 7:00am and 6:00pm Monday to Friday, and between 12:00noon and 6:00pm Saturday and Su ...

zone.

Route

City of Westminster

At its southern end, the A400 begins in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in Greater London, England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It contains a large par ...

at a junction with the

Victoria Embankment Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment (the other section is the Chelsea Embankment), a road and river-walk along the north bank of the River Thames in London, England. Built in the 1860s, it runs from the Palace of Westminster to ...

, 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 The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

to the

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial area on the south bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Lambeth, central London, England. The South Bank is not formally defined, but is generally understood to be situated betwe ...

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

Cycle Superhighway 3 Cycleway 3 (C3) is a cycle route in London, England. 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 leisure cyclists, ...

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 four lines: Bakerloo, Circle, District and Northern. On the Bakerloo line and the Charing Cross branch of the Nor ...

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 House ...

towards

. Here the route meets

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It ...

, the A4 (

Strand Strand or The 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 * ...

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 Charing Cross Road is a street in central London running immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles Circus (the intersection with Oxford Street), which then merges into Tottenham Court Road. It leads from the north in the direc ...

. 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 Piccadill ...

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

Tottenham Court Road station Tottenham Court Road is an interchange station in the St Giles, London, St Giles area of the West End of London for London Underground and Elizabeth line services. The London Underground station is served by the Central line (London Undergrou ...

, where it meets

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to t ...

(the A40). Here, the road enters the

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

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 tu ...

Warren Street tube station Warren Street () is a London Underground station, located at the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Euston Road in the northernmost part of Fitzrovia, and named after adjoining Warren Street. It is served by the Northern and Victoria ...

, 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 ...

(

). 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. It is on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line, between and stations. It is located in Travelcard Zone 2. The ...

, and northbound A400 traffic travels along

Camden High Street The A400 road is an A roads in Great Britain, A road in London that runs from Charing Cross (near Trafalgar Square, in London's West End of London, West End) to Archway, London, Archway in North London. It passes some of London's most famous l ...

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 Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, 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 London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Camden, Camden. The neighbourhood is served by Tufnell Park tube station on the Northern Line. History ...

. In the London Borough of Camden, the A400 is controlled by

Transport for London Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom. TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...

between Euston and

Camden Town tube station Camden Town is a London Underground station in Camden Town, London. It is on the Northern line as well as 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 ...

. 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, borough in North London, England. Forming part of Inner London, Islington has an estimated population of 215,667. It was formed in 1965, under the London Government Act 1963, by the amalg ...

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 Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

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 . One of several nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide is a reddish-brown gas. It is a paramagnetic, bent molecule with C2v point group symmetry. Industrially, is an intermediate in the s ...

(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 wh ...

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 Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are infectious diseases involving the lower or upper respiratory tract. An infection of this type usually is further classified as an upper respiratory tract infection (URI or URTI) or a lower respiratory tract ...

. 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/m³. 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 Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...

- 36 μg/m³ * Tottenham Court Road - 65.7 μg/m³ * Euston Road - 82.34 μg/m³ * 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/m³ in 2017.

Hampstead Road

Hampstead Road is a road in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England, stretching over a kilometre between

and

Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...

. It is signed as the A400. Hampstead Road terminates at

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, London Borough of Camden, 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 dur ...

, Hampstead Road becomes

. For most of its length, Hampstead Road is sandwiched between Regent's Park Estate to the west and

Euston railway station Euston railway station ( ; or London Euston) is a major London station group, central London railway terminus and Euston tube station, connected London Underground station managed by Network Rail in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sout ...

to its east. In addition, from south to north on Hampstead Road are Euston Tower, the

Camden People's Theatre Camden People's Theatre is in the London Borough of Camden. It presents live theatre featuring established and emerging artists, including Sam Steiner's ''Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons'' in 2014 and 2016, which later transferred to the West ...

, 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 (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

pub, the St Pancras Female Orphanage, and the

High Speed 2 High Speed 2 (HS2) is a high-speed railway which has been under construction in England since 2019. The line's planned route is between Handsacre – in southern Staffordshire – and London, with a Spur line, branch to Birmingham. HS2 is to ...

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 L ...

). 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, Manchester, Liverpool 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, 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 Radicals (UK), Radical and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician, manufacturing, manufacturer, and a campaigner for free trade and peace. He was associated with the Anti–Corn Law L ...

. 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, which are both on the former part of Hampstead Road now called

Chalk Farm Road Chalk Farm Road is a street in the Camden Town area of London. There is a widespread misapprehension that the road that runs through Camden Market is part of Camden High Street, but it is actually Chalk Farm Road. Camden Market is a major cent ...

. 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

, in north-northwest

. It is part of the route from central London to

. 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 ea ...

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 typicall ...

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

, 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 in

Upper Holloway Upper Holloway is an area in the London Borough of Islington, London, centred on the upper part of Holloway Road and Junction Road, forming part of North London. History Toponymy The part of the Great North Road through north of the parish ...

, north London, running between

Archway tube station Archway is a London Underground station. It is located at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate, Highgate Hill, Junction Road, London, Junction Road and Archway Road in Archway, London, Archway, North London, directly underneath the Archwa ...

(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 (Great Britain), A1 road as it passes through Holloway, London, Holloway, in the London Borough of Islington. The roa ...

) 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 and Hampstead Junction Railway. It was at the corner of Junction Road and its pur ...

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 Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greate ...

's Gospel Oak to Barking line, between Gospel Oak station and Upper Holloway station. The

postal district A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal ...

is N19.

References

{{Reflist Roads in London