Home Villages Wansford The A1 at Wansford in the Fifties VillagesWansford The A1 at Wansford in the Fifties April 28, 2010 The old A1 Great North Road in 1957, passing the familiar New Mermaid Inn building which has transformed from a popular drinking haunt with serving WW2 US Airmen to a Little Chef to today’s sadly derelict shell.