Officially, the A1 begins in the City of London, at a junction called St. Paul’s Roundabout. Yes, right there by the iconic cathedral. Imagine the architects thinking, “Let’s build a magnificent dome… and then slap a roundabout next to it so drivers can honk at each other.” It’s a spiritual start: you leave the heavenly architecture, and immediately plunge into the hell of traffic.
But wait—there’s a twist! The A1 technically starts 0.3 miles south of that roundabout, at the junction of Poultry and King William Street. It’s like the road equivalent of a quarterback calling an audible before the snap. You think you’re at the starting line, but the road has already been running for a few hundred meters. Typical A1: always keeping you guessing.
The Forgotten Mile: A Pothole’s Pilgrimage
That first little bit is called the Bank of England branch, and it’s not exactly scenic. You’re dodging bankers in suits and tourists taking selfies with a giant gold statue. The A1 doesn’t care about your Instagram; it just wants to get the hell out of London. By the time you hit the Angel, Islington, you’re already dreaming of the empty motorway.
