This Ancient Road – London to Holyhead, A Journey Through Time £10.99

It’s about 250 miles from London to Holyhead, and there are numerous routes to choose from to travel between the capital and the port on the far north-west corner of Wales, gateway to the Irish Sea.

For Andrew Hudson the road of choice is the A5, as he recalls journeys north from London through the suburbs, through towns old and new, passing farmland and industrial heartlands. The Romans recognised the advantage of such a route for their Watling Street link between England and Ireland. The southern end was one of the first metalled roads in England, while through Wales the achievements of great Scottish engineer Thomas Telford must be acknowledged.

A double-page map outlines the main route of the A5 – established by the Ministry of Transport in 1923 – that shows its importance linking the numerous towns along the way such as St Albans, Milton Keynes and Towcester. At Weedon Bec the A5 swings towards Tamworth and Telford, then strikes out for Shrewsbury, before cutting a swathe through North Wales to reach the Menai Bridge, Anglesey and journey’s end (or the starting point, depending on which way you are travelling). Fascinating reading. David Brown Author: Andrew Hudson Publisher: RedDoor (reddoorpublishing.com)

ISBN: 978-1-910453-45-2