The old A1(M) North Yorkshire road that’s now abandoned

The abandoned carriageway lies between Ripon and Leeming, which includes Healam Bridge, and once formed part of the main north-south route through the county.

Before the A1 was widened and later replaced by the motorway, traffic travelling between Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland would have passed along this section.

Today, the road ends abruptly and is largely hidden from drivers using the newer routes alongside it.

The road in 2025 (Image: GOOGLE)

Despite no longer carrying through traffic, several reminders of its former life remain.

The old road still crosses the stone Healam Bridge, while faint traces of road markings can be seen on parts of the surviving surface.

At one end is a plaque marking the completion of the first phase of the A1 upgrade carried out between 2009 and 2012.

Those works created this section of the A1(M) and the northern end of the A6055 local access road, leaving the former carriageway isolated between the newer roads.

The abandoned stretch is older than the dual-carriageway layout that many drivers may remember.

It formed part of the original course of the Great North Road before the route was officially classified as the A1 in the 1920s.

When the road was later widened, part of the modern A6055 became one carriageway of the dualled A1, while this older section and its bridge were left behind.

The surviving road is a reminder of several different stages in the development of one of Britain’s most important routes.

The road again in 2012 (Image: GOOGLE)

The Great North Road had connected London with northern England and Scotland for centuries before being designated as the A1.

As traffic increased, long sections were widened into dual carriageway and eventually upgraded to motorway standard.

The area between Dishforth and Leeming was one of the later stretches to be converted into the A1(M).

The first phase of the project opened in stages between 2011 and 2012, replacing a section of dual carriageway that had long been regarded as a bottleneck.

Much of the former A1 was retained as the A6055, allowing local traffic to travel between communities without using the motorway.

However, the short road across Healam Bridge was no longer needed as part of the through route and was left disconnected.

The surrounding area has changed considerably since the old road was in regular use.

The land around Healam Bridge also has a much older history.

The location has been associated with Roman remains and the site of a substantial fort, meaning the road passes through an area used as a transport corridor long before the arrival of motor vehicles.

Today, the abandoned carriageway attracts interest from walkers, residents and people fascinated by old roads and lost infrastructure.

Drivers using the A6055 can still glimpse the bridge and old alignment, although access to the surviving stretch is not immediately obvious from the modern road.

The road has recently attracted attention on the Facebook page “Ghost roads – Abandoned, by-passed and roads to nowhere”, where enthusiasts document stretches of highway left behind by bypasses and major road improvements.