Britain's Abandoned Roads - Episode 14 - A47 Peterborough Cambridgeshire

#abandoned #roads #Peterborough
Today's episode delivers an unexpected area of wonderment just to the side of Peterborough. I know... who'd have thought it!?
The A47 today is a busy dual carriageway but it's original route and road was left abandoned when building the more modern infrastructure. What remains today of this ancient road... I intend to find out.
Welcome to Britain's Abandoned Roads. In this series, I go out to explore some of the UKs abandoned or disused roads. Old roads in the woods, motorway junctions or forgotten slip roads, this series has it all! Join me as I travel all over the country seeking out forgotten and abandoned infrastructure.
Be sure to follow us on twitter - @JonShenanigans

[@bern047]

Glad yo mentioned Peterborough, after this hope the riff raff have moved out and left Peterborough for us to enjoy, we have a lovely riverside theatre, fantastic bikeways (The Green Wheel) and really nice wildlife reserves and forests all round Peterborough at lease 20+, really nice lakes around the outskirts (Yaxley and Hampton) as well, fabulous shops (Peterborough and Hampton) excellent bus service and they have just spent 20 million on our fantastic Rail station serving all the country and only 48 minutes to King Cross, Waitrose by the station with free 1 hour parking, to all of you if you don't like it get out : )

[@6thcenturyseagull642]

Mate do you even live in Peterborough? The 'lovely riverside theater' you mentioned is nothing but a tiny community center that plays bollywood through Poundland speakers. The only nice bikeways are at the south of Peterborough, only about 8 wildlife reserves, half of the lakes aren't even in the district of Peterborough (also Yaxley is not in Peterborough), the shops are definitely not fabulous there is only about 7 I like in the centre and that's it. On top of that according to you Hampton isn't apart of Peterborough? And the only places with good shops is Hampton and The city centre. Not lmao. Terrible bus service that are always cancelled/late or there are 6 chavs having a fight over the back seats. Our railway has definitely degraded since the 70s but a Waitrose with 1 hour free parking makes up for it!

[@multiSamP23]

I live in Peterborough and it is a much better place than where I used to live. We have 3 theaters and a cinema complex. the New Theartre (formerly Broadway Theartre), probably being the best. The city boasts a fine 900 year old cathedral and a lot of open spaces. Ferry Meadows is great for walking and cycling and does have a water sports centre. The Parkway ring road system was well thought out and keeps most of the through traffic out of the city. There is a good selection of pubs and eateries, many offering live music at the weekends. There are good employment opportunities and housing is generally good.

[@SimonEllwood]

I live in Peterborough and regularly run an cycle that route. I used to live in Kent and Peterborough has a much lower crime rate than where I used to live. I have no idea how they put Peterborough at the bottom of the list as it has a lot going for it especially when it comes to transport.

[@RH11THM]

I'm gonna hazard a guess that you used to live in Gillingham? Lol I definitely get what you meant by transport. It takes longer to get to London from Maidstone than Peterborough by train!

[@ProLGL]

New fan from the U.S. here. Amazing content man, great mix of history, facts and jokes. Wish you the best!

[@AutoShenanigans]

America!!! F yeah! Thanks for joining us, we're now an international KZbin "success!"

[@TheMike445]

I live in Peterborough and quite honestly I think it is quite a safe and nice place to live. It has a decent road infrastructure, transport is quite decent and the rail link is just 45 minutes from London. If however you want to go North East or West the rail system is very good, so how it ranks fifth in the worst towns in UK is beyond me.

[@kirkmooneyham]

I lived in East Anglia, oh quite many years ago now, but if I was going to say what places I thought would turn bad in the future, I would NOT have put Peterborough on that list. Perhaps there is one bad area of the town that causes the crime numbers to be bad?

[@AddiRockART]

As an American who lives half the year in the UK, I travel alone and live alone in Peterborough and never have had a problem. I always have to walk as I cannot drive in the UK. I’ve been attacked with guns in America, so I guess most things in the UK just don’t scare me 😅

[@Simon-bg3st]

Try Manchester. Peterborough is as safe as anywhere in Britain.

[@josephsalmonte4995]

Yeah, Peterborough used to be dangerous for teens. Especially 20 years ago. Nowadays it's very safe at any time of night.

[@iainmclaughlan1557]

Peterborough is a great place to live.

[@andyjamess]

Peterborough resident here too

[@Plainrockfan-zs1eh]

I live there

[@Blackinthailand]

OI !!! I lived in Peterborough for a while, I liked it ! I lived near that junction and have walked down that bit of old raod.

[@davidl63]

I loved driving that old piece of the A47 between Castor and Ailsworth and Thorpe Wood. It was so much fun and also extremely dangerous.

[@MazandJazz]

This is fine work. Feels like Countryfile meets Brass Eye.

[@AutoShenanigans]

That is the best review and summary I've had yet.

[@BossySwan]

This was the one thing we *didn’t want to happen*

[@sco77]

And another piece of information regarding that very stretch of road. Not far from that bridge stood a very old and quaint cottage. When the planners decided to build the bypass, the occupants refused to sell up, so it was dismantled brick by brick and rebuilt further along that road high up on a bank 😎

[@brianmorton3359]

Nowt wrong with Peterborough, I've lived here for years and no problems, it's just like any other city with good and bad areas.

[@m1geo]

Loved the Wallace and Grommit soundbite! 😁

[@mistikal1]

Most of the way through binge watching your mini series and enjoying it, however I now have the Rugrats theme song stuck in my head!

[@RH11THM]

There's an abandoned stretch of dual carriageway on the A27 just before you get to Arundel coming from Brighton. It was meant to be a bypass for Arundel, but only about 100m of it was built lol

[@paulrerrie75]

The office block used to be the Thomas Cook HQ.

[@PaulMichael1084]

Love the Wallace and Grommit use!!!!!

[@lodgewhite]

If your're interested in more abandoned roads there is evidence of 2. The A422 where it meets Brackley from Buckingham has a section of road that runs parrallel that's been gated off for over 12 years now. Satelite view can see the white lines down the road and my guess is when they built the A43 bypass to link the M40 and M1 they had to adjust where the A422 met for the roundabout. There's another one too in the area by the A421 where it meets in Finmere. It's quite hard to tell from the A421 side but on the Finmere village side there is a gate where the white lines continue through.

[@hairyairey]

The parkway network around Peterborough (including the A47) was built using the gravel from Nene Park, the eighth largest country park in the UK. Which you were walking through.

[@justincarter5167]

I was born and bread their, however had to leave because, well, it's Peterborough, but always wanted to know about this abandoned section which is now a walk way.

[@iainmclaughlan1557]

I am a driving instructor and the traffic in Peterborough is the lowest in the country for its size. I can get to virtually anywhere in Peterborough in 20 minutes and I live in the South West corner of the city. Great place.

[@michaelcleary7065]

I like your James May presentation style 👍 new subscriber

[@douglasewan]

Your humor is fantastic.

[@robh69]

And then of course, there's the old route of the A34 (now M3) , that goes around St. Catherine's Hill to the east of Winchester. That used to be a horrible snarl up before they dug the big cutting back in the 90's. A precursor to what they did at Hindhead...but without a tunnel.

[@andyjamess]

I was near this road on Monday (24th) while talking about you and some event in Newark that I will be part of in May. lol

[@frankieford2173]

I used to work for BT as cable recovery and I worked from Leicester to the A1. Had to fit a lorry down in them roads and you had to drive onto the fields or bushes. Wouldn’t be surprised if our digger tracks still there.

[@tingstrap]

There is an abandoned part of the a21 just north of robertsbridge, part of which forms part of a current lay-by. But there was a lay-by on the that section. Resulting in a lay-by within a lay-by.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Pete bog horror as the max power guys would have said many years ago! Another Great video as always!

[@AutoShenanigans]

Ha.. I've not heard it called that!

[@lukiep89]

Max power was was based in Peterborough aswell

[@johnbenson20]

I just moved to Peterborough seam okay to me not dangerous but I don't go out late evenings !

[@monikag9081]

Not sure what was the point of the introduction. Peterborough a dangerous place in Cambridgeshire? How many cities do you actually have in Cambs? Sure, there is a problem with flytipping in some places, travellers in others but the place you are showing is actually very picturesque and located next to one of the nicest neighbourhoods around. Overall quite a confusing presentation 🤔

[@leopold7562]

There's three. The other two are Cambridge (obviously!) and Ely. Thing is, compared to those two, Peterborough is a bit rough around the edges. I think it suffers the same problem as Gravesend in Kent in that, compared to everywhere else in their respective counties, it's a bit less salubrious. I've been to both and I think they both get a bit of a bad rap. I've been to far worse places.

[@Courten1994]

As someone who has lived in Peterborough my whole life the comments and the 'Worst place to life tag' is so inaccurate the comments are not needed

[@rogerpeachey2212]

I live on the outskirts of peterborough.im annoyed at people putting this place down .Peterborough is a great place ..2 swimming pools.many lovely places to eat.we have the cresset,the key theatre,river ,parks,cathedral,2 colleges.and much more.every city,town village has there rough areas.peterborough has a lot to offer...please stop slagging it off.

[@AutoShenanigans]

We're just messing around... we don't mean it. I frequent Peterborough as we're not that far away.

[@Trctnctrl0ff888]

Its like kicking someone in the nuts and saying 'only joking'

[@6thcenturyseagull642]

2 swimming pools!?!?!?!?!? WOAH!!!

[@multiSamP23]

​@@6thcenturyseagull642Yep, there's the one on Bishops Road, The Vivacity Jack Hunt on Ledbury Road and the Lido also on Bishops Road!

[@HowardLeVert]

@@AutoShenanigans Don't be a twat all your life then - have a day off.

[@davepridmore8777]

It's the river NEEN (Nene) , not Nen. Great piece , keep it up 👍🏻

[@AutoShenanigans]

Ah well, I've learned it depends on where you are from as to the pronunciation. No one can decide :D

[@West4ea]

@@AutoShenanigans in Peterborough and thel fens it’s said Neen but in Northampton it’s the Nen

[@MattyTowcester]

@@West4ea Which invariably means that ‘nen’ is correct

[@HowardLeVert]

@@West4ea Changes around Oundle, I believe.

[@SimonPJohnson]

Cycled on that section between Peterborough and Castor on a regular basis over 50 years ago, Milton Ferry bridge being at the lowest part, when the city was starting to expand as a ‘new town’

[@ajalvin2012]

Oi I live here it's not that bad. I'm new sub and was surprised to hear of this road. I go camping over there, in fact I'm off in few days. I'm going to have a wander down our ghost road, thanks for letting me know. 👍☮️❤️

[@ryanguest3948]

Same here🤘

[@ajalvin2012]

@@ryanguest3948 🖐 see ya on the ghost 👻 Road 👍

[@ryanguest3948]

@@ajalvin2012 can’t wait😝 do you walk dogs down there

[@ajalvin2012]

@@ryanguest3948 nah. I'm a wild camper , I hang around in the bushes 🤭👍

[@ryanguest3948]

@@ajalvin2012 so if I’m walking my dog and see someone in the bush it must be you🤣🤣

[@nick56921]

Weird. "Most dangerous city in Cambridgeshire". Hardly going to be Ely is it? It's a great city, and perfectly safe.

[@phillipbritten7687]

Another cracking vid mate. 👏

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thanks mate, appreciate you watching :)

[@AdeReeves]

Hey...you can't slag off such a wonderful town so flippantly ... but totally agree ... you could have popped in for a coffee 😀

[@AutoShenanigans]

I simply report the facts ;)

[@Error-403]

@@AutoShenanigans I second you there 😂😂👌🏼

[@kevlandy]

Theres another abandoned section of the A47 at Wardley on the Leicestershire/Rutland border. Wardley hill was a terrible section of road in the past, many lorries would get stuck on the incline in icey conditions. - check it out!👍

[@Simon_W74]

The A47 bing extended to Lowesoft was just changing the road name from the A12 to the A47, Not sure when they did this. As I only found that out recently so it can't of happened that long ago. My Shat Nav still has it as the A12 as it was last updated in 2019, as it is a massive faff.

[@exploringwithcam74]

I live About 5 minutes from their and I always walk through the wood over bridge then back over and then on thy abandoned road

[@paulmartin2116]

Another forgotten piece of the a47 is at Wardley between leicester and Peterborough...still visible by Google earth..

[@RF_Burns]

Looks like a good place to walk the dog. Thanks for the info.

[@AutoShenanigans]

It is indeed! Thanks for watching!

[@dvr2838]

Literally 10meters down to your right there is riverside walk thats where people usually walk their dogs

[@marcosteffano]

That used to be my playground in the 70s.swim and fish and camp around the bridge area.

[@derekr1113]

Lovely underpass - very sexy! What a charming area.

[@sydnorth5868]

Got another suggestion for an abandoned road. How about the A59 at Bolton Bridge in North Yorkshire where the new road bypassed the old bridge over the River Wharfe.

[@sydnorth5868]

And again just east of there you've got the stretch between North Moor Road and Hall Lane

[@rafd3593]

Peterborough is much but undeservedly maligned. I moved from Surrey to Peterborough and it has a number of advantages over Surrey.

[@Jeagles]

The videos are great, the comedy is great but the best part about this series is the collection of excellent outro music

[@AutoShenanigans]

I put a lot of thought (sometimes) into the music. Who doesn't love Pingu.

[@peterhiggins7998]

Holding out for the Animal Hospital theme song....

[@MikeWooshy]

At 1:11, is that a gibbet ? Quite a few of the politburo could do with this "treatment".

[@longnetter]

Great video. Your right about peterborough not a nice place now and best avoided. That section of road was an accident black spot with a couple of multi fatalities in two separate accidents in the mid 1970's. One thing to remember is the river name...... Its pronounced the NEEN downstream of Thrapston so beware or you'll upset the natives.

[@AutoShenanigans]

It's Nen where I live ;-) I didn't know about the accidents in previous years, good info. Thanks for watching!

[@andykilvington1651]

@@AutoShenanigans Yeah, I'm with NEEN (sorry)

[@houndmaster5843]

ok, I live in peterborough and have done all my life and close family that later moved to scotland but not me and parents. And its gotten better in the sense we were the worst city in england 2 years running now were 5th. However in actuality not ran into many issues outside bullying when i was younger just keep your eyes forward and too yourself and dont be a cocky with bling.

[@azualbet3805]

@@houndmaster5843 that worst city survey is rubbish. Just one survey, who knows who they asked etc.

[@Simon-bg3st]

Which natives? Just to clarify for everyone, in Peterborough it's pronounced "NEEN". Upriver into Northamptonshire it's "NEN".

[@aurelijus1]

i walk my dog in that area, recognized it from the very start of the video

[@cannedham8630]

Blimey people getting tetchy about Peterborough! people need to chill, it was just a joke! I was born there and lived in a village near to Wansford on the A47 funnily enough, before moving away in the early 1990s as a child. Like most large towns/cities it certainly has some less desirable areas to it, however have popped back up now and then to visit and it seems to have a lot more going for it. Anyway loving the content you put up on here, keep up the great work!

[@skatez69]

"river nen".. made me chuckle. Pronounced "neen" even though it's spelt "nene"...

[@AutoShenanigans]

I researched this..... it depends if you are from Northamptonshire or Cambridgeshire....

[@darshitcumdeepgupta6998]

Keep it up. 🙏

[@AutoShenanigans]

Thank you mate, appreciate that.

[@garyh1572]

Was that a footbridge that i saw in the background - near the start of the video ???

[@AutoShenanigans]

Not exactly sure where you mean mate... ? Right at the start I'm on the Ferry Bridge... which is a footbridge, is that the one you are referring to?

[@longnetter]

@@AutoShenanigans it's proper name is gunwade Bridge.

[@AutoShenanigans]

@@longnetter Many thanks, I couldn't find a definitive answer!

[@koolstup]

It's Billy Corgan!!

[@justinadcock4536]

Don’t know if you’re looking out for more abandoned roads? I have one additional oneoff the top of my head and I can think a bit more if you wanted to do more?

[@AutoShenanigans]

Always keen to hear of any suggestions

[@justinadcock4536]

@@AutoShenanigans thinking about it, none of them would make very good videos, 2 of them probably not classed as abandoned tbf. The one that definitely is abandoned: Long Crendon road in Thame, Oxfordshire. Gated off by St Mary’s church, tarmac is still there and clearly visible from Google earth. One interest bit of road redesign which leaves a large chunk of slip road no longer used, junction 8 of the M27 (on the eastern side) extremely long slip roads (until shortened, westbound less than 2 years ago during the conversion to a smart motorway, eastbound more than 2 years ago). That’s one for your facts of the M27 video. And the bit of road I was thinking of when I first commented I remember wasn’t actually abandoned, it’s just very off. Hillingdon circus, going London bound, (what 3 words, medium oil towers) obviously the old road to London before the bypass was built, but all the tarmac seems to be ripped up. Very enjoyable series, am now catching up on the service station series. Just watched the server bridge, great drone footage, and I never knew that about the Manic street preachers rhythm-guitarist. So sad

[@DavidShepheard]

1:11 What the heck is that thing? It looks like a medieval torture device.

[@aligreenwood89]

I had my best bike crash under that underpass lol it had rained n i pulled back brake n it just 360 on me lol was hilarious

[@Simon-bg3st]

Had to pause the video and say, "Most dangerous city in Cambridgeshire"? The only other two cities are Ely and Cambridge, so there's not much competition. You should get a job on GB News.

[@leopold7562]

Yeah, there's not much competition there. But therein lies the joke.

[@davidweston991]

"J15 of the A47" is slightly inaccurate, it's J15 of Peterborough ;) junctions are numbered throughout the entire city

[@hairyairey]

Yes and no, roads do indeed have junction numbers but they are not altered because they are in Peterborough. Frank Perkins parkway and Fletton parkway all have junction numbers but they start and finish in Peterborough (A1139)

[@katieistiredagain7288]

Sorry you had to come to Peterborough it does suck

[@AutoShenanigans]

Luckily I only had to pass through to get to where I needed to be :D

[@RUBBER_BULLET]

I don't live in Peterborough and I've never been near it.

[@TammoKorsai]

Peterborough is okay, but rather boring to me. Most of my friends and all of my family have moved out and I will do my best to follow them. Regardless, I appreciate learning the story behind this defunct road.

[@Dannysubliminal]

Great video, also, The River Nene is pronounced 'Neen' not 'Nen' Cheers

[@invisiblewizard2538]

It is at that end, yes - but when I moved to West Northamptonshire, where the source of the Nene is, they pronounce it "nen".

[@Dannysubliminal]

@@invisiblewizard2538 Yes, our friends to the south are often made fun of for not pronouncing it correctly ;)

[@Error-403]

R21, what a weird name

[@AutoShenanigans]

Indeed, that's how it shows on the map... I couldn't find any info as to what it means!

[@NJWiddowson]

@@AutoShenanigansit’s the cycle route name. Guess it shows up because that has a name but the road doesn’t 🤔

[@BossySwan]

Pingu

[@samueljarvis1276]

I live in Peterborough 😂😂🤦‍♂️

[@adamjolley62]

Peterborough peterboroughshire

[@hairyairey]

Technically yes as it's a unitary authority now.

[@MrGreatplum]

Gosh, you wound up the good residents of Peterborough with this one 😂

[@overlandready]

just so you know, the river Nene is pronounced Neene with a long "e", so best you don't go pronouncing Wymondham, Happisbough, Bawdeswell and Stiffkey... 😛

[@AutoShenanigans]

Nene varies according to your location.. I checked that one.

[@NJWiddowson]

How about Marholm? It’s only up the R21 (cycle route numbering) after all 👀 🚲

[@anthonylloyd6094]

Rugrats

[@djsollar]

Yeah Peterborough in USA Very dangerous place to live Legendary A47 the most badly death road with no return At the end both deformated brothers Eating travelers and recycling their vehicles forever ever

[@TWIG-rf7gh]

I've got an abandoned road u can visit, wanna know about it?

[@AutoShenanigans]

Sure thing...

[@TWIG-rf7gh]

The old A30 at Goss Moor in Cornwall. It is now a public footpath with remains of the white lines still and has an information sign about the old A30! The Footpath is clearly visible from Google maps with runs parallel with the railway line and is represented as a grey line from the traffic icon on maps. Hope you find it on maps ok!

[@martynavis2832]

Great,a man that tells you interesting facts about places but slags them off first. Stick to the history.

[@Beverstoncastle5068]

Darn gummit its the Nene not the Nene 😂

[@AutoShenanigans]

Potato/Potato 😂

[@Beverstoncastle5068]

@@AutoShenanigans Thanks for doing my suggestion dude, even though, rip I actually like Peterborough. Depressing how shit it's getting here though

[@AutoShenanigans]

@@Beverstoncastle5068 No worries, thanks for the suggestion. I was running out of roads!! I've no issues with Peterborough, Aylesbury... now there's somewhere I'd like to not visit again.

[@wilting_alocasia]

I used to walk from the College campus to the station around 4pm Never ever felt safe xD Its an absolute crap town that makes you feel like you're gonna get stabbed any second

[@andykilvington1651]

Am I the only one who kinda likes Peterborough?.....Or more to the point, the only one who likes house prices in Peterborough.

[@iLoveAppl3947]

Because it's close to London

[@RF_Burns]

No you're not. Commutable and affordable is a hard to find combination these days!

[@andyjamess]

Same. I live there. lol

[@lippylady]

I live there and I like it

[@NJWiddowson]

Commutable to Cambridge for a house less than half the cost - it’s why I live here 🤷‍♂️

[@acooke7265]

Mate I have lived in Peterborough my whole life. It’s no worse than anywhere else

[@katieistiredagain7288]

Nene not nen

[@AutoShenanigans]

Sorry, us Northamptonshire lot call it the "Nen" 😂

[@katieistiredagain7288]

@@AutoShenanigans my sat nav calls it ne-ney it's funny

[@hairyairey]

@@katieistiredagain7288 your satnav sends you into a river? 😂

[@katieistiredagain7288]

@@hairyairey in Peterborough there is a Nene parkway and when it says 'turn left onto nen-ney parkway'

[@hairyairey]

@@katieistiredagain7288 of course I forgot about that parkway. We do have a lot of them!

[@motorcyclejunkie7564]

Only someone NOT from Peterborough would spout such claptrap.

[@AutoShenanigans]

I just regurgitate what the internet says.

[@StupidBlokeStupidVideos]

Just binge watched the whole series and I’m not even particularly interested in abandoned roads. Abandoned canals on the other hand, they give me a decent hardon so it would be great if you made a series on those 🤷‍♀️

[@AutoShenanigans]

You'll be wanting Paul and Rebecca Whitewick for that. If you aren't familiar, they cover abandoned canals and railways.

[@StupidBlokeStupidVideos]

@@AutoShenanigans affirmative, I already watch them. They’re also a good channel,.. especially for southerners.

[@dicksplatts007]

Have a look at the Manchester road heading out of Sheffield there is an abandoned road coming off of Manchester road b6088 next to a lake that was the original road before the stocksbridge bypass. If you follow it further up flouch roundabout and go over there's a road on the left that's called "old Manchester road" which I think was part of the original b road mountain route

[@UKbigchub]

The only annoying thing with Peterborough is the guy filming this, look at the lovely countryside he's walking in and compare that to some inner cities

[@milehighclassics]

Pingu