A66 road

The A66 is a major east–west route across Northern England. It starts east of Middlesbrough and ends in Workington on Cumbria’s coast. Part of its course follows the line of a Roman road between Scotch Corner and Penrith. The road climbs over the Pennines past villages such as Appleby and Kirkby Thore. It then drops into the Lake District before reaching the sea at Workington. Some sections are dual carriageway, others remain single lane. The road has one of the UK’s worst safety records on single-lane stretches. Between Scotch Corner and Penrith there were 70 deaths over ten years up to 2002. Campaigners pressed for upgrades and the government approved a £1.3 billion scheme in March 2024 to dual the whole route. Snow gates were installed near Bowes to close the moorland section when heavy snow blocks it. A 50 mph limit with average speed cameras covers the single-lane part near Bassenthwaite Lake. Travellers find a varied landscape of moorland summits, river valleys and lakeside roads. The westbound line between Keswick and Cockermouth follows the old railway alignment eastbound. Westbound it winds up and down through farmland and woodland. Views open across Blencathra and the northern fells. The road also passes through market towns like Penrith and Keswick.