A21 | |
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Route information | |
Length: | 63 mi (101 km) |
Major junctions | |
Northwest end: | London (Lewisham)51°27′25″N 0°00′49″W / 51.4569°N 0.0135°WCoordinates: 51°27′25″N 0°00′49″W / 51.4569°N 0.0135°W |
A20 road M25 motorway A25 road A26 road A28 road A205 road A222 road A223 road A224 road A225 road A227 road A228 road A229 road A232 road A259 road A262 road A264 road A265 road A268 road A2014 road A2100 road A2101 road A2102 road A2211 road A2212 road |
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Southeast end: | Hastings50°51′40″N 0°33′30″E / 50.8611°N 0.5582°E |
Location | |
Primary destinations: |
Bromley Sevenoaks Royal Tunbridge Wells |
Road network | |
For other roads with the same name see List of A21 roads.
The A21 is a trunk road in Southern England, one of several which connect London and various commuter towns to the south coast. It provides a link to Hastings, East Sussex and parts of Kent. Half of the distance covered is over gently undulating terrain, with some hills and bends. Often traffic is slow-moving, particularly on weekdays on the single carriageway stretches; and in summer with holiday traffic. Because of this, people have described the A21 as "a joke" and businesspeople have been reported to "hate coming down the A21". There have been many proposals to upgrade parts of the A21 in response to this.
Parts of the A21 follow the historic turnpike roads: for example the section from Sevenoaks to Tunbridge Wells, opened in 1710; other sections of the road were similarly dealt with later in the century. It is also the location of the first wildlife overbridge in the United Kingdom, near Lamberhurst. The road between the M25 and Hastings is designated a trunk road, and is maintained and managed by Highways England (formerly known as the Highways Agency).
The A21 is used for the 55 miles (89 km) Maydayrun to Hastings in which motorcyclists ride from South London to the Hastings seafront. It claims to be the largest non-organised event in the UK, attracting over 20,000 bikers.