A227 road

A227 road
Route information
Length:	19.9 mi (32.0 km)
Major junctions
From:	Gravesend
	M20 motorway M26 motorway A2 road A20 road A25 road A26 road A226 road
To:	Tonbridge
Road network
Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones

The A227 road in England runs from Gravesend in Kent in a generally south-south-westerly direction to Tonbridge. It is about 19.9 miles (32.0 km) in length.

Overview

The northern end of the road is in Gravesend town centre at the junction with the A226. Its initial 3.4 miles (5.5 km) follows a relatively straight line, passing under the A2 road and High Speed 1 about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) south from Gravesend. Just before entering Meopham, and while passing by the village, the road becomes less straight, and begins the climb up the slope that ends at the North Downs; at about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) the road swerves towards the south-west and slopes steeply down the southern edge of the Downs, meeting the A20 and crossing the M20 at the foot of the hill, 10 miles (16 km) from Gravesend. From Gravesend to Meopham Green it is known as the Wrotham Road. For a short distance to just north of Culverstone Green it is renamed South Street. Thereafter it reverts to Wrotham Road until just south of Culverstone Green when it is known as the Gravesend Road until the junction with the A20.

For about 0.3 miles (0.48 km) the A227 and the A20 share the same path, but then the former turns right at a roundabout to resume its SSE journey. The original road at this point went through the village of Wrotham, but the bypass on which the A227 is now routed crosses the M26 to the east of that village. Half a mile (0.8 km) further on, Borough Green is reached, and once through the A227 joins another road, losing its identity as it did earlier (this time to the A25 for 0.4 miles (0.64 km)). A left turn sees the road re-emerge, and it now enters the village of Ightham; once through here the road begins a steady climb on the slope of the Greensand Ridge, and after reaching the top to the west of Plaxtol, it begins to descend steeply passing through Shipbourne.

Beyond Shipbourne the road takes a very sharp right-hand bend and soon begins to enter the northern edge of Tonbridge. Halfway down High Street, the A227 goes in a U-shape, turning south-east and then north-east, coming to an end at the A26 (Hadlow Road/Cannon Lane junction).