View source for A413 road

{{Refimprove|date=March 2023}}

{{Short description|Road in Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire}}
{{coord|51.83554|N|0.81659|W|type:landmark_region:GB_dim:30000|display=title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox road
|country=GBR
|type=A
|route=413   
|direction_a=South
|direction_b=North
|terminus_a=   [[Denham, Buckinghamshire|Denham]], [[Buckinghamshire]]
|destinations= [[Aylesbury]], [[Buckingham]]
|terminus_b=   [[Towcester]]
|junction={{jct|country=GBR|A|40|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|355|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|404|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|4010|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|41|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|418|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|421|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|43|name1= }}
|image= A413 - main road near Wendover - geograph.org.uk - 229852.jpg
|image_notes=A413 near [[Wendover]]
|previous_type = A
|next_type = A
|previous_route = 412
|next_route = 414
}}

The '''A413''' is a major [[road]] in England that runs between [[Denham, Buckinghamshire|Denham]] (west of London) to [[Towcester]] (northwest of Milton Keynes). It passes through or near various towns and villages including (in northbound order) [[Gerrards Cross]], [[Chalfont St Peter]], [[Chalfont St Giles]], [[Amersham]], [[Little Missenden]], [[Great Missenden]], [[Wendover]], [[Aylesbury]], [[Winslow, Buckinghamshire|Winslow]], and [[Buckingham]]. Most of the road is in [[Buckinghamshire]], with a part at the north end in [[Northamptonshire]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Forth |first=Clive |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x5CSAwAAQBAJ |title=The Great British Road Rides Guide: The Best of the UK in 55 Bike Routes |date=2014-05-22 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4729-1146-9 |language=en}}</ref>

In the 1960s, a by-pass was built around [[Great Missenden]] and re-routing has taken place through [[Aylesbury]] town centre.  In recent years {{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}, by-passes have been built for [[Amersham]] (1987) and [[Wendover]] (1998). In the early 21st century, the junction near Towcester where the A413 joins the [[A43 road|A43]] has also been redeveloped along with much-needed A43 redevelopment around [[Silverstone Circuit]].

That part of the route which runs along the Misbourne Valley dates back into pre-history. In medieval times, the Cartulary of [[Missenden Abbey]] simply recorded the road as "the Kings Highway".  Also just north of Aylesbury the road crosses [[Holman's Bridge]], the location in 1642 of the [[Battle of Aylesbury]].

The section of the A413 between Aylesbury and Winslow is known locally for its high accident rate. A number of signs have been put up along this stretch of road stating how many casualties have occurred on the road in recent years. The stretch has a high number of blind turnings, sudden speed limits and steep gradients. The worst accident to occur in recent years was in 2003 when a lorry crashed through the side of a bridge just south of the hamlet of [[Hardwick, Buckinghamshire|Hardwick]]. The road was closed completely for two days resulting in all bus services being diverted onto the [[A418 road|A418]] or [[A41 road|A41]].

==In popular culture==
[[Aylesbury]] rockstar [[John Otway]] wrote a B-Side about the road on his Number 9 hit single "Bunsen Burner." The song was called "A413 Revisited" and is about John returning home no longer as a one hit wonder but as a two hit artist. The chorus is:

<blockquote>
:"From Amersham, to Missenden,
:to Wendover to the Vale of Aylesbury,
:that's me heading down the 4-1-3"
</blockquote>

::and features places located on the road such as [[The Grange School, Aylesbury|The Grange School]] in Aylesbury.


==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Clear}}

{{GB A road zone 4}}
{{Transport in Buckinghamshire}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:4-0413}}
[[Category:Roads in England]]
[[Category:Transport in Buckinghamshire]]
[[Category:Transport in Northamptonshire]]


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