A684 road (Great Britain)

A684 road
A view looking east from Dandry Mire Viaduct at Garsdale Head circa 1900. Moorcock Inn is still trading as a pub and the view remains largely unchanged in this rural upland scene.
Route information
Length:	70 mi (110 km)
Major junctions
West end:	Kendal 54°19′49″N 2°44′29″W / 54.3303°N 2.7413°W / 54.3303; -2.7413 (A684 road (western end))
	A6 road M6 motorway A683 road A6108 road A1 road A167 road A19 road
East end:	Ellerbeck (A19 road) 54°22′07″N 1°19′15″W / 54.3685°N 1.3209°W / 54.3685; -1.3209 (A684 road (eastern end))
Location
Primary destinations:	Bedale, Kendal, Leyburn, Northallerton
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones

The A684 is an A road that runs through Cumbria and North Yorkshire, starting at Kendal, Cumbria and ending at Ellerbeck and the A19 road in North Yorkshire. It crosses the full width of the Yorkshire Dales, passing through Garsdale and the full length of Wensleydale.

Flooding can be a problem after heavy rain, especially at Appersett, near Hawes, and heavy snow can close the road temporarily at the Black Horse hill and in Garsdale.

The A684 has primary status for the short length between Kendal and junction 37 of the M6 motorway, though even this primary section involves two hills and some tricky twists. East of the M6, the road descends the "Black Horse" hill and passes through Sedbergh where there is a short diversion to avoid the main street and a difficult right-angled bend. Another right-angled bend 6 miles (9.7 km) east at Garsdale Hall, and the road goes further up the valley to the watershed at Garsdale Head. After this the road passes under Garsdale (or Dandry Mire, or Moorcock ) viaduct where after there is a junction with the B6259 road to Kirkby Stephen. The road drops down through upper Wensleydale into Appersett, a junction with the B6255 and into the town of Hawes

There is a 17-ton MGW (maximum gross weight) restriction over the bridge spanning the Widdale Beck in Appersett. Because of this, heavy eastbound traffic must leave just before the bridge and proceed onto an unclassified road through Hardraw and then turn south onto Burnt Acres Lane bringing the vehicles back to the A684 just east of Hawes town centre. Heavy westbound traffic from the B6255 is expected to go through Hawes eastwards and then back through Hardraw to avoid the weight restriction.