The A508 is a north-south A-class road in central

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, forming the route from

Market Harborough Market Harborough is a market town in the Harborough District, Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, close to the border with Northamptonshire. The population was 24,779 at the United Kingdom census, 2021, 2021 census. It is the ad ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

, via

Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...

, to Old Stratford in

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

, just outside

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...

Major settlements

The major settlements along the route are

, Great Oxendon, Kelmarsh, Maidwell, Hanging Houghton,

Brixworth Brixworth is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a parish population of 5,162, increasing to 5,228 at the 2011 census. The village's All Saints' Church is of Anglo-Saxon origin. Location T ...

, Pitsford, Boughton,

Roade Roade is a village in Northamptonshire, England. Currently in West Northamptonshire, before local government changes in 2021 it was represented by South Northamptonshire District Council, falling within the two-member Blisworth and Roade ward ...

Grafton Regis Grafton Regis is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England, on the border with Buckinghamshire. The village is east of the A508 road, on which it has a short frontage and two bus stops, and is around south of Northampton and ...

, Yardley Gobion, before finishing outside Old Stratford.

Route

Market Harborough

The road starts in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, at the junction of the A4304 St Mary's Road and Clarence Road. It begins as Kettering Road, crosses the

River Welland The River Welland is a lowland river in the east of England, some long. It drains part of the Midlands eastwards to The Wash. The river Source (river), rises in the Hothorpe Hills, at Sibbertoft in Northamptonshire, then flows generally nort ...

, and continues as Springfield Street, Northampton Road and Harborough Road, before crossing the county boundary into

Great Oxendon to Boughton

The A508 is named Harborough Road until it becomes Harborough Road North at a roundabout in the village of Boughton. The first village in Northamptonshire is Great Oxendon, where the road passes St Helen's Church. The road then passes Kelmarsh Hall and Kelmarsh village. South of Kelmarsh it intersects with the A14 road, a dual carriageway trunk road, at a grade-separated junction. A508 northbound - geograph

South of the A14, the road continues through Maidwell and Lamport, where it is served by X7 and 77 buses to Northampton.

History

The route of the A508 follows a long-established route from Northampton to Market Harborough, crossing medieval bridges, or their replacements, at Pitsford and Great Oxendon.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:5-0508 Roads in England Transport in Leicestershire Transport in Northamptonshire