Road sense: A11 Major route linking London and Norfolk

The A11 runs between London and Norfolk, on a route that goes via Epping and Harlow, bypasses Cambridge and then continues to Newmarket and Thetford before reaching Norwich.

It began life as an important coaching route, linking London and Norwich, taking in Epping Forest, Newmarket and Thetford Forest. On the road around Epping, travellers were targeted by highwaymen until the early 19th century.

The town itself was an important stopping place, with 16 coaching inns – a few still survive today.

To the south-east of Harlow, the road joins the A414, becoming the A1184 at Harlow Mill before crossing into Hertfordshire and Sawbridgeworth.

The A11 was downgraded to the A1184 when the M11 was built to relieve the congestion on the A11 out of London. From Sawbridgeworth, it heads north to the market town of Bishop’s Stortford.

The historic A11 leaves Stortford and continues as the B1383 to Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex.

Continuing north via Ugley and Newport, the road runs near Audley End House, a 17th-century mansion with grounds by Capability Brown.

On through the village of Great Chesterford, the route follows the Roman road towards Newmarket, where it becomes the A11. The old A11 goes through Newmarket as the A1304, but the modern road turns north and multiplexes with the A14.

At Waterhall, the A11 rejoins its original route to head north-east towards Mildenhall, passing the Elveden War Memorial before bypassing the village itself. The road cuts through the south-east corner of Thetford Forest and continues to Norwich.