A385 road

A385 road
Liftarn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	A385
Country	England
Route	385
Length mi	34
Terminus a	Plymouth
Terminus b	Totnes
Counties	Devon
Maintained by	Devon County Council

A385 road

The A385 is an A-class road in Devon connecting Plymouth to Totnes via a sequence of coastal towns, rural parishes and market communities. It links important regional transport nodes such as Plymouth Hoe, Plymouth City Centre, and Totnes railway station while passing through settlements including Newton Ferrers, Modbury, South Brent and Dartmouth-adjacent corridors. The route carries local commuter traffic, tourist flows to Dartmoor National Park and freight serving agricultural and service sectors in South Devon.

Route

The route begins near Plymouth City Centre and proceeds northeast through suburbs adjacent to Plymouth University and the Royal William Yard before crossing suburban districts toward Plymstock and the estuarine fringes of the River Plym. It skirts the western approaches to Wembury and continues into the South Hams area, traversing the ancient parish of Newton and Noss and the village of Newton Ferrers. The A385 then climbs through the agrarian landscape to the medieval market town of Modbury, intersecting lanes toward Bigbury-on-Sea and Salcombe. From Modbury the carriageway winds through hedgerow-lined sections to Aveton Gifford, crosses tributaries of the River Avon (Devon), and approaches the estuary-side village of South Pool. Further north the road meets Kingsbridge-area feeders before threading into the eastern approaches of Dartmouth via road links toward Dartmouth ferry crossings. The final stretch runs inland through South Brent at the southern fringe of Dartmoor and descends into Totnes, terminating near A381 connections and the River Dart crossings that serve Dartmouth and Torbay corridors.

History

The alignment incorporates medieval trackways and post-medieval turnpike improvements that paralleled historic coaching routes connecting Plymouth and market towns of Cornwall-adjacent Devon. Sections of the road were subject to 18th- and 19th-century turnpike trusts similar to those that operated in Devonport and across South West England, facilitating movement tied to the expansion of Royal Navy dockyard activity at Plymouth Dock. During the Industrial Revolution the route supported carriage of agricultural produce toward coastal ports used by traders from Bristol and Exeter. In the 20th century, intermittent realignments accommodated motor traffic growth linked with the development of A38 and radial road planning around Plymouth and Torbay. Wartime logistics in the period of the Second World War increased strategic use of nearby arterial roads, prompting post-war resurfacing and strengthening schemes overseen by county authorities. Late 20th- and early 21st-century interventions targeted pavement repairs, bypass proposals around congested village centres and bridge maintenance adjacent to river crossings influenced by environmental regulations connected to South West Coast Path access and coastal conservation designations.

Junctions and destinations

Key junctions include connections with the A38, providing routes toward Exeter and Bristol, and the junction with the A381 at Totnes offering links to Kingsbridge and Paignton. Intermediate junctions provide access to Slapton Sands and the Start Bay coastline via minor roads toward Stokenham. Several grade-separated and signalised junctions serve industrial estates near Plymouth Dockyard and commuter interchanges adjacent to Plymouth railway station. The road also intersects arterial lanes to Dartmoor National Park access points such as the Bovey Tracey routes and feeder roads to historic sites including Buckfast Abbey and Totnes Castle. Local crossroads provide links to ferry terminals at Dartmouth Higher Ferry and seasonal marinas serving leisure craft on the River Dart.

Traffic and safety

Traffic volumes vary seasonally, with peak flows during summer months due to tourism to Salcombe, Dartmouth and the South West Coast Path, and commuter peaks aligned with Plymouth work patterns. HGV movements arise from agricultural distribution and service deliveries to coastal communities, moderated by weight restrictions on narrower sections near conservation villages such as Newton Ferrers. Accident studies by regional transport authorities have identified collision clusters at junctions with limited visibility and at gradient changes approaching South Brent; responses have included targeted signage, speed management zones near schools and junction realignments influenced by standards from the Department for Transport. Flooding incidents at estuarine crossings have intermittently reduced capacity, prompting carriageway drainage improvements and embankment reinforcement funded through county resilience programmes and coastal defence partnerships with agencies such as Natural England concerned with protected habitats.

Public transport and services along the route

The corridor is served by several local and regional bus operators providing scheduled services linking Plymouth to Totnes and coastal communities such as Kingsbridge and Dartmouth. Services connect with national rail at Plymouth railway station and Totnes railway station, offering onward journeys on lines to Exeter St Davids and Paignton. Park-and-ride schemes, community transport initiatives and demand-responsive services operate in rural parishes with coordination from county-run passenger transport units and voluntary organisations such as local community bus groups. Emergency services, including ambulance and fire brigades from stations in Plymouth and Totnes, rely on the route for response times to rural incidents, while roadside services and fuel stations are concentrated at larger settlements including Modbury and Kingsbridge.

Future developments and improvements

Planned works promoted by Devon County Council and regional highways bodies focus on safety enhancements, drainage projects and selective carriageway widening where constrained by historic village layouts. Proposals under local transport plans include improved junction geometry near Modbury, cycling and pedestrian segregated facilities to link with active travel schemes toward Dartmoor access points, and collaborative measures with environmental bodies to mitigate impacts on designated sites such as South West Coast Path coastal sections and estuarine habitats. Funding considerations involve national road maintenance allocations and potential developer contributions tied to housing growth in South Hams settlements; public consultations and statutory assessments will determine the timing and scope of interim and long-term interventions.

Category:Roads in Devon