From east to west, the A590 originally terminated at the A6 road near Levens. Its route followed a number of country roads via a series of Turn Off To Stay On (TOTSO)'s, passing through a number of villages including Lindale, High and Low Newton, Newby Bridge and Greenodd into the larger town of Ulverston. This road formed a large part of the southern boundary of the Lake District National Park upon its formation in 1951.