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For many
people, driving through Cumbria on the M6 is a real treat. The Lune
Valley, the Pennines, and miles of scenic agricultural land all combine
to create one of the most beautiful stretches of motorway in the country.
Although it’s less than forty years old, it’s now hard to
imagine life without it.
Many
people can remember life before the M6. John Hurst grew up at Skirsgill,
Penrith; as a child he would play on the site of what became Junction
40. He went on to edit the "Cumberland and Westmorland Herald",
and he recalls Penrith BEFORE the motorway…
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| Building
work at Junc. 40 |
 John
Hurst recalls life in Penrith town centre before the motorway
Add
your memories of the M6’s construction through Cumbria by e-mailing
us at cumbria@bbc.co.uk
The
road was built in different stages, beginning with the seven-mile
Penrith bypass which opened in 1968.
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| Opening
booklets |
This
was followed a year later by the three-mile stretch immediately
south, from Hackthorpe to Thrimby. It wasn’t until 1970 that
John Peyton, the Minister of Transport, cut the ribbon for the longest
section – which ran from Lancaster, right through Westmorland,
over Shap and back down towards Penrith.
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Facts
and figures - Cost of each section
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Section
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Length
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|
Opened
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Cost
millions
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|
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| Carlisle
bypass (Junction 44-42) |
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7
miles
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Dec.
1970
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£7
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| Carlisle
– Penrith (42-41) |
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13
miles
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July
1971
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£6.9
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| Penrith
bypass |
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7
miles
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Nov.
1968
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£7.7
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| Hackthorpe
– Thrimby |
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3
miles
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Sept.
1969
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£1.4
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| Thrimby
to Tebay |
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9
miles
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Oct.
1970
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£7.9
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|
|
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| Tebay
to Killington |
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9
miles
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Oct.
1970
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£11.7
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| Killington
to Farleton |
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8
miles
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Oct.
1970
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£5.4
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| Farleton
to Carnforth |
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8
miles
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Oct.
1970
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£4.5
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Jim
Banks, chief engineer at Shap, describes why the motorway "splits"
in certain places:
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| Jim
Banks |
Jim
Banks describes why the motorway "splits" in certain
places.
At
Tebay, above the West Coast Main Railway line, you might have noticed
a heart-shaped wood (at least that’s how it’s best known
these days).
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| Heart
Wood |
There
are lots of tales about its origins: some say it was planted as
a memorial to a young soldier killed in the first world war, others
say it was the farmer’s way of expressing his love for his
wife. So is there any truth in these stories?
The
wood belongs to Hilary Wilson, at High Carlingill Farm.
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| Hilary
Wilson |
Hilary
Wilson tells the REAL story of the heart-shaped wood
The
new motorway affected many local people. For example, after seven
years of planning, the final route chosen at Lowther (near Penrith)
meant Jean Hector and her family were forced to move house.
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| Jean
Hector |
Jean
Hector describes her feelings about having to move house.
Years
of planning and construction finally came to an end on July 1st,
1971, when the last section of our motorway was opened. The total
cost of the project, from Junction 36 to Junction 44, was over £50
million.
Thirty
years on, the Highways Agency maintains the motorway network on
a daily basis. During the course of a four-year contract, the Agency
carries out eighty-four detailed inspections of the motorway. Bob
Baldwin, area manager for the Cumbrian stretch of the M6, says one
of his main concerns is actually the LACK of traffic!
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| Bob
Baldwin |
Bob
Baldwin sets out his priorities for the M6.
Were
you involved in the construction of the M6 through Cumbria? Were
you affected in any way by the new motorway? Do you regularly use
the road? Click here to add your stories.
Your
thoughts and memories of the M6 in Cumbria »
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