A66 Penrith to Scotch Corner

[A303Chris]

I am looking for some advice. The weekend after next i am going to Centre Parcs near Penrith for a long weekend with friends. I will be driving up on Thursday from Reading and will be going via Preston to spend the night with our friends there before driving up to Penrith early on Friday.

However on Monday i was going to come back in one hit and for a change to the M6, i was going to go down the A66 then A1, A1(M), M18, M1 down south mainly to use the A1(M) Weatherby and Ferrybridge sections for the first time and also because I have never used this section of the A66.

Two things, one is the A66 worth the drive and two what is the road like as it is a mixture or dual carriageway and how long will it roughly take to do the 50 miles to Scotch Corner. If it is going to take for ever, i might have to go back via the M6.

Comments please

[Helvellyn]

Depending on what's going on with the Temple Sowerby bypass work, there may be quite a bit of a delay there. Get some photos of it whilst you're passing! Beyond that there's usually no serious traffic problems, although you'll almost certainly get stuck behind something slow on the S2 sections. It's usually not worth trying to overtake them (the bad accident record is largely down to people doing that in stupid places, and you only get stuck again a little further on).

The D2 sections are fine, and it's really quite a strange experience going over Stainmore, definitely worth a visit if you've not been that way before (and the weather is correct - too bad and it's no fun, too good and it's not right!)

I'm not so good on times, but roadworks permitting you should get to Scotch Corner in less than an hour.

[ChrisH]

My friends who moved from Reading to Keswick tell me that the A66 route is about 10 miles longer than the M6 route, but takes the same amount of time. I'd go for it, especially if the M6 is going to be busy (which it is, of course ).

[haymansafc]

I can give you some advice for two thirds of this route. Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with the Penrith to Brough section. I think I have only been along here the once in my lifetime and that was about 15 years ago! I suspect many things have changed since then so any comments I could make about this are more than likely to be out of date.

I am very familiar with the D2 section between Brough (A685) to Bowes (A67). This has to be one of the finest and most scenic D2's that I know of in this country. It's one of my own personal favourite roads. With various hills and bends it also makes it an excellent drive and from my own personal experience of this section (on my fairly regular trips to Sunderland), it's almost always had little traffic on it. It's excellent. I recommend you drive along this section, I can't praise it highly enough. There are plenty of pull in's to stop in too if you want to admire the views and have the feeling of being in the middle of no where!

The section between Bowes and Scotch Corner remains largely as an S2, but personally I haven't come across any trouble along this section either. Sure, it can be slightly slower, but I've rarely had any troubles along this stretch either.

In my opinion you certainly won't make a mistake by using the A66. I think it's a great trans-pennine route with some great scenery and some fantastic D2 sections. I have always preferred to use this (from Brough eastwards) rather than the congested M62 any day.

[CJ]

I drove the A66 last week, and it's very frustrating at the moment because long (unnecessarily long if you ask me) stretches of it have a 40 limit with speed cameras due to the roadworks. If you can put up with that though it's ok, probably two thirds D2 and the other third S2, so getting stuck behind a lorry isn't too annoying.

[a80]

so getting stuck behind a lorry isn't too annoying.

But geting stuck behind a tractor is!

[ABeaton]

so getting stuck behind a lorry isn't too annoying.

But geting stuck behind a tractor is!

Or even worse, a tractor, a lorry and bus. Once I saw a truck try to overtake a slow-mo on the S2 section. He was a lunatic.

Also there are currently roadworks at the eastern end of the Trans-Pennie A66. This is to make it D2 from Sctoch Corner to Bowles.

[Lonewolf]

I am very familiar with this road. I was once mad enough to ignore the 'road closed to high sided vehicles' in a transit type van. A very scary ride followed, never again!

Anyway most everything has been said. I dunno if they still working at Temple Sowerby, but theres a pretty good escape route around that. Look at your map and go round by Newbiggin and Kirkby Thore.

Wolfie.

[Mark Hewitt]

If you can delay your trip slightly, try setting out in 2010 instead, the route will be much better

[Helvellyn]

Work is definitely still going on around Temple Sowerby, and as has been pointed out, unfortunately someone has decided in their infinite wisdom that the entire length of the existing road that is getting bypassed needs a 40mph limit, instead of just the ends. I didn't realise there were cameras; I'm sure I recall someone I know who travels that way every day saying that the 40 is generally ignored.

Unless it's jammed up going around won't make it any quicker IMO.

[A303Chris]

Thanks for all your advice and I will definately give the A66 ago, could be a fun drive.

I will try and take some photos of the works, but as i will be with my wife and 20 month old daugther, they may not be pleased with constant stops.

Thanks again

[James1978]

A favourite section of mine is the Appleby by-pass, it's a fast D2, and going eastbound, it's mainly all downhill. It does seem as though a lot of people are eager to overtake on it though, as there's a lot of S2 either side of it! And it also has the smallest Little Chef i've ever seen on it (but I haven't been in)!

[haymansafc]

Thanks for all your advice and I will definately give the A66 ago, could be a fun drive.

I will try and take some photos of the works, but as i will be with my wife and 20 month old daugther, they may not be pleased with constant stops.

Just close your ears and stop anyway !

I forgot about the Scotch Corner roadworks, I must admit . I haven't been along the Bowes - Scotch Corner section for roughly just over a year now, but the last time I used it, it was fine and traffic was doing at least 50mph for much of it's length. Obviously the roadworks here will slow you down a bit. I used to use this section a lot more than I do now, but having rediscovered the A67/A688 (as an alternative, the 'old, old' route to Sunderland rather than going down to Scotch Corner) about five or six years ago, the A66 here has sadly become 'semi redundant' for me now.

The D2 section between Brough and Bowes though, a section I have used several times a year throughout my lifetime, is an excellent section of road though as I previously said. Unfortunately it's persistently 'overshadowed' by criticisms of the S2 sections either side strictly in my opinion. You'll be unfortunate to face heavy traffic here, or indeed seeing more than about five other vehicles at any one point! On my way back from relative-visiting in Sunderland I stopped along two pull ins along here to admire the views (and the road - which I didn't admit to the other occupants in the car!). The pull in's make for a very decent picnic stop!

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy your trip along the A66. I'm sure you'll find pockets of congestion on the S2 sections, even I will happily admit to this, but I sincerely hope you enjoy the Brough - Bowes D2 just as much as I have always done.

[Helvellyn]

Although it's the wrong way and the wrong time, coming over Stainmore heading east and sunset can be quite impressive, as long as it's not in its fairly typical cloud-covered howling wind and driving rain weather.

[A303Chris]

Drove it on Monday and thanks for the advice, what a great drive and it only took 50 minutes.

At Temple Sowerby the works are progressing well, have some photos and will download later. Work on the western tie in was currently being undertaken and several small bridges are completed. The steel structure over the River Eden is in place as well. Eastern tie in looked like it is only just starting.

Greta Bridge to Scotch Corner dualling also going well with most of the new carraigeway under construction. But why are they leaving out a 2 mile section in the middle of this 12 mile section of widening. Why not do it at the same time. Looks like another Wetherby to me.

[Achmelvic]

Drove it on Monday and thanks for the advice, what a great drive and it only took 50 minutes.

At Temple Sowerby the works are progressing well, have some photos and will download later. Work on the western tie in was currently being undertaken and several small bridges are completed. The steel structure over the River Eden is in place as well. Eastern tie in looked like it is only just starting.

Greta Bridge to Scotch Corner dualling also going well with most of the new carraigeway under construction. But why are they leaving out a 2 mile section in the middle of this 12 mile section of widening. Why not do it at the same time. Looks like another Wetherby to me.

There is a gap inbetween the two projects at the eastern end because the current constructions are leftovers from before the DfT agreed to dual all the route from the A1-M6.

About 5/6 years ago was involved in the public consultation as lived near the 66. The HA guys said at the time that they did want to dual the whole route but couldn't because of the DfT and so would undertake two officially seperate projects which came in with individual budgets allowed as 'small' HA projects, at the same time as doing the Temple Sowerby bypass. If the would road from Greta Bridge to Scotch Corner had been done as one project the budget would have been to large to do without the permission of the DfT etc. Also the two current constructions are amongst the cheapest sections to dual as apart from the a closed-down garage there were no houses or buildings in the way.

Then in 2002 the DfT committed to dualling the whole route from Scotch to Penrith and so the three projects already underway were continued and planning started for the remaining sections including filling in the gap Stephen Bank-Carkin Moor. AFAIK the plans for the two current eastern projects were changed slightly to allow the gap to be filled more easily. Also these two current project were let to a contractor as a combined bid so it's the same group building both section from the same base though AFAIK still as two officially seperate contracts etc.

So is all down to politics, just like at Wetherby I guess.

[A303Chris]

Instead of starting a new thread I though I would reboot this one of mine from 14 years ago with another question about the A66.

I was driving from Workington to Penrith on it last week and then this crossed my mind. If it starts in Workington, within the "5 zone" and finishes on Teeside in the "1 zone", why is it the A66, surely it should be a "1" or "5" road.

I bet there is an obvious reason why.

[Helvellyn]

Instead of starting a new thread I though I would reboot this one of mine from 14 years ago with another question about the A66.

I was driving from Workington to Penrith on it last week and then this crossed my mind. If it starts in Workington, within the "5 zone" and finishes on Teeside in the "1 zone", why is it the A66, surely it should be a "1" or "5" road.

I bet there is an obvious reason why.

West of Penrith it's an extension of the A66 number, which originally started at Penrith and heading east. I think the A66 number was assigned to the lot after the works in the 70s. The original route west of Penrith was the B5288, formerly the A594 (which was still visible on some signs in Greystoke until fairly recently, painted over - the arms have since been replaced). See https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A66.

[DavidBrown]

^ The A66 originally started in Penrith on the A6, so would have been correct at the time. EDIT - beaten to it!

[KeithW]

Instead of starting a new thread I though I would reboot this one of mine from 14 years ago with another question about the A66.

I was driving from Workington to Penrith on it last week and then this crossed my mind. If it starts in Workington, within the "5 zone" and finishes on Teeside in the "1 zone", why is it the A66, surely it should be a "1" or "5" road.

I bet there is an obvious reason why.

The original A66 went from Penrith to Hull and then was truncated to end at Scotch Corner. The A66(M) from the A1 to the outskirts of Darlington was built at the same time as the Darlington bypass It was only extended to Teesport in the 1980's. Prior to that the route from Darlington to Middlesbrough was the A67.
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/nost ... ng-9186095

From Penrith to Workington it was the A594/A597. The sensible decision was made to assign the number A66 to the route between Workington and Teessport