A7 road (Northern Ireland)

The route of the A7 in red from Carryduff (Co. Down) to Downpatrick (Co. Down).

In Northern Ireland, the A7 is a major trunk road running some 16 miles (26 km) from Downpatrick, through Crossgar and Saintfield, to Carryduff.
Here the A7 joins the A24 (running from Newcastle) at an at-grade roundabout, and continues to Belfast.

The section between Carryduff and Saintfield was constructed in the latter half of the 19th century, to bypass Ouley Hill, as the previous route along Old Saintfield Road/Killynure Road was proving too arduous for stagecoach horses.

Composition

The road is standard single-carriageway throughout most of its length, with two short sections of climbing lanes (approx 500m each).
The first of these runs northbound, starting about two miles north of Downpatrick at the former site of the Abbey Lodge Hotel.
The second runs southbound and begins about a mile south of Saintfield near Doran's Rock.

Junctions

Apart from its terminus junction with the A24, the A7 road crosses these A and B roads:

• B2 (2 miles north of Downpatrick)
• B7 (Crossgar)
• B6 (Saintfield)
• A21 (Saintfield)