Driving for masochists- old roads you don't miss

[multiraider2]

Re the A30 in Cornwall, I remember a dreadful trudge through Okehampton once and as Chris mentioned, even after the bypass there opened in November 1988, the single lane section thereafter to the Launceston bypass was quite inadequate. I made a trip with my girlfriend and some friends during the holidays in 1989 (why didn't we go in term time?!) and was stuck throughout the length of the Okehampton bypass. Going to North Cornwall frequently, the completion to Launceston was the final key to a good trip. Its only latterly that I travelled further west and so hope to revisit this message in years to come and say I don't miss any of the single lane sections in Devon or Cornwall.

Well seven years later and I can nearly say that. Still think Loggans Moor and the Hayle bypass are the fly in the smooth-sailing ointment though. However, who's with me on a free-flow trip from Loggans Moor to Invergowrie? (Isn't that going to be the longest free-flow route now? Excluding artificial extensions by going a longer way around)

Only if you go a longer, slower route - the shorter, faster route is via M9, A9 with at grade roundabouts at Bridge of Allan and Broxden

Yes, quite. I would be breaking my own rules really taking the diversion to the Queesnferry Crossing and the M90. But if you don't like roundabouts and traffic lights this is the shortest longest or is that the longest shortest.

[SteveA30]

The modern A30 doesn't guarantee free flowing traffic at summer peak times. This is the Okehampton bypass a couple of years ago. The steep hills seem to be the cause along with weight of traffic. Lorries and caravans slow down, some caravans pull out to overtake but also lose speed, queues form.

Also on the approach to the M5, when traffic can tail back almost to the Pathfinder/Tedburn turning. Both of these can cause overspill onto the old road, creating queues there so, everyone gains/suffers. It's a gain for me obviously.
Timing is everything. If Fridays/Saturdays can't be avoided, get there really early, or late. Before 9am or after 5pm.
Most of the year though it runs freely so, a net gain.

[FleetlinePhil]

A556 at Mere.

Plus one to that. Well, plus two actually - my sister would do almost anything to avoid driving on the old version, which no doubt was somewhat awkward on occasion, as she lived in Holmes Chapel.

[ravenbluemoon]

A453 from Appleby Magna to Clifton.

Both pre their modern by-passes and realignments, of course.

I got to use this a few times before being made redundant from my job in Nottingham. Was excellent until you slammed into the back of the queue for Kegworth island. Pre-upgrade I'd have a variety of ratruns in my internal satnav, usually through Kegworth village and Gotham.

One bit I don't miss to add to the southwestern suggestions - the Indian Queens queue heading to Newquay. I don't think I've been down there since they dialled the Goss Moor bit.

For Scotland - the M8 through Glasgow since the M74 opened. Great road for Sabrisitic interest, did my head in trying to drive it.

[solocle]

Re the A30 in Cornwall, I remember a dreadful trudge through Okehampton once and as Chris mentioned, even after the bypass there opened in November 1988, the single lane section thereafter to the Launceston bypass was quite inadequate. I made a trip with my girlfriend and some friends during the holidays in 1989 (why didn't we go in term time?!) and was stuck throughout the length of the Okehampton bypass. Going to North Cornwall frequently, the completion to Launceston was the final key to a good trip. Its only latterly that I travelled further west and so hope to revisit this message in years to come and say I don't miss any of the single lane sections in Devon or Cornwall.

Well seven years later and I can nearly say that. Still think Loggans Moor and the Hayle bypass are the fly in the smooth-sailing ointment though. However, who's with me on a free-flow trip from Loggans Moor to Invergowrie? (Isn't that going to be the longest free-flow route now? Excluding artificial extensions by going a longer way around)

Reasonably nice stretch of road now.

[RichardA626]

The Whitby one way system is one of the hardest places I've driven, narrow busy streets & one missed turn means having to do a full lap!

[ForestChav]

A453 from Appleby Magna to Clifton.

Both pre their modern by-passes and realignments, of course.

I got to use this a few times before being made redundant from my job in Nottingham. Was excellent until you slammed into the back of the queue for Kegworth island. Pre-upgrade I'd have a variety of ratruns in my internal satnav, usually through Kegworth village and Gotham.

The route through Gotham, Stanford and Kegworth was of course the old B679 before the A453 opened (as A648). It's not too bad and wasn't pre-upgrade but when you hit the old A6 in Kegworth at peak times it could get busy.

Pre-upgrade you could still queue for a while when it was busy heading onto the island at J24 too. It seems to have helped with the remodelling when it widened to smart motorway, and probably more so with the A6 southern bypass traffic for Kegworth going onto the A453 at a different place.

[ravenbluemoon]

It seems to have helped with the remodelling when it widened to smart motorway, and probably more so with the A6 southern bypass traffic for Kegworth going onto the A453 at a different place.

I did wonder if the Kegworth bypass and the new slips at 24A would make a difference as it would take a lot of traffic off the main roundabout. I left that employment not long before the upgrades happened.

[wallmeerkat]

I was driving from Dublin Airport up north to Co Down after a long flight and was glad that it wasn't 25+ years ago with the old short stretch of RoI M1 onto N1, through Drogheda town, S2/3, round Dundalk, checkpoint queue at the border, Newry roundabouts on the "second" bypass, alternating stretches of S2 and D2 on the A1.

Good quality D2M/D2 until after Newry then D2 with some median crossings and 60mph stretches, but a lot better than it was.

Otherwise, the A8000 in Scotland, the S4 A77 stretch (at one point I used to use the Eaglesham turnoff and head round Glasgow that way)

[Micro The Maniac]

A sample of the A6 in its masochist heyday.

I smell an awayday idea, if it hasn't already been done. No I'm *not* suggesting all of it, although part of me would like to do Derby to Carlisle.

I recently had cause to head to Cornwall, so I did the A30 from end-to-end - keeping to the 1933-route as closely as possible. I merely offer praise to the Highway Gods that I will never have to drive most of that route again...

[Bryn666]

I don't miss the old M6 J34.

[multiraider2]

A sample of the A6 in its masochist heyday.

I smell an awayday idea, if it hasn't already been done. No I'm *not* suggesting all of it, although part of me would like to do Derby to Carlisle.

I recently had cause to head to Cornwall, so I did the A30 from end-to-end - keeping to the 1933-route as closely as possible. I merely offer praise to the Highway Gods that I will never have to drive most of that route again...

You really did the town centres? Hatton; Staines; Sunningdale; Bagshot, Camberley; Hook; Basingstoke; Andover; Salisbury; Shaftesbury; Sherbourne; Yeovil; Crewkerne; Chard; Honiton; Exeter; Okehampton; Launceston; Bodmin; Redruth; Camborne; Hayle; Penzance etc. That really sounds like a pull-your-hair-out-by-the-roots route. It's no wonder people did all-nighters. If trying it, I would want to be at Heathrow at 11pm. I am tempted by an all A30 route home but it would be the 2024 version. That's still got the awful Surrey/West London bit and Basingstoke but otherwise bits will be OK. On a summer Friday or Saturday summer's holiday afternoon, I found Sherbourne to Salisbury via the A30 a pleasant drive mostly at the NSL whilst the A303 alternative isn't worth thinking about. You could probably do as well from Upottery to Yeovil as the A303 alternative. That is until you actually get to the approach to Yeovil on the A30 which wasn't fun when I tried it once.

[FleetlinePhil]

I don't miss the old M6 J34.

And another plus one to that!

In fact, with a fair bit of my meagre current car mileage being to visit my siblings in the Lancaster and Sandbach areas, this rebuild and the A556 mentioned upthread have proportionally made a big difference to me.

[solocle]

I smell an awayday idea, if it hasn't already been done. No I'm *not* suggesting all of it, although part of me would like to do Derby to Carlisle.

I recently had cause to head to Cornwall, so I did the A30 from end-to-end - keeping to the 1933-route as closely as possible. I merely offer praise to the Highway Gods that I will never have to drive most of that route again...

You really did the town centres? Hatton; Staines; Sunningdale; Bagshot, Camberley; Hook; Basingstoke; Andover; Salisbury; Shaftesbury; Sherbourne; Yeovil; Crewkerne; Chard; Honiton; Exeter; Okehampton; Launceston; Bodmin; Redruth; Camborne; Hayle; Penzance etc. That really sounds like a pull-your-hair-out-by-the-roots route. It's no wonder people did all-nighters. If trying it, I would want to be at Heathrow at 11pm. I am tempted by an all A30 route home but it would be the 2024 version. That's still got the awful Surrey/West London bit and Basingstoke but otherwise bits will be OK. On a summer Friday or Saturday summer's holiday afternoon, I found Sherbourne to Salisbury via the A30 a pleasant drive mostly at the NSL whilst the A303 alternative isn't worth thinking about. You could probably do as well from Upottery to Yeovil as the A303 alternative. That is until you actually get to the approach to Yeovil on the A30 which wasn't fun when I tried it once.

The 1933 route avoids Andover.

Ironically I've done a good stint of it on a bike ride before, being at Heathrow at 10:30 pm. I deviated at Sutton Scotney that night - 3am, but obviously a drive would be substantially faster. It was very quiet, and would be a straightforward cruise.

Salisbury and Yeovil are the two possible traffic hotspots between Popham and Upottery, although doing the town centres themselves would be a bit painful in a car. And some high streets like Yeovil or Redruth, well, it's a no go for motors.

But the general outline of the old route is really quite doable.

[Micro The Maniac]

You really did the town centres? Hatton; Staines; Sunningdale; Bagshot, Camberley; Hook; Basingstoke; Andover; Salisbury; Shaftesbury; Sherbourne; Yeovil; Crewkerne; Chard; Honiton; Exeter; Okehampton; Launceston; Bodmin; Redruth; Camborne; Hayle; Penzance etc. That really sounds like a pull-your-hair-out-by-the-roots route.

In so far as they are possible, yes... eg Basingstoke you can't follow the road through the top-of-town so I went as close as I could... Mind you, I use the Egham-Basingstoke stretch quite often...

Like I say... I will never do it again! Even the "modern" A30 is a pretty dire option!

[doebag]

You really did the town centres? Hatton; Staines; Sunningdale; Bagshot, Camberley; Hook; Basingstoke; Andover; Salisbury; Shaftesbury; Sherbourne; Yeovil; Crewkerne; Chard; Honiton; Exeter; Okehampton; Launceston; Bodmin; Redruth; Camborne; Hayle; Penzance etc. That really sounds like a pull-your-hair-out-by-the-roots route. It's no wonder people did all-nighters. If trying it, I would want to be at Heathrow at 11pm. I am tempted by an all A30 route home but it would be the 2024 version. That's still got the awful Surrey/West London bit and Basingstoke but otherwise bits will be OK. On a summer Friday or Saturday summer's holiday afternoon, I found Sherbourne to Salisbury via the A30 a pleasant drive mostly at the NSL whilst the A303 alternative isn't worth thinking about. You could probably do as well from Upottery to Yeovil as the A303 alternative. That is until you actually get to the approach to Yeovil on the A30 which wasn't fun when I tried it once.

I have partially on a motorbike. I picked up the A30 at Hayle and got as far as Salisbury before heading north to Swindon to come home. The weather was good, I was solo and in no rush to be anywhere,

[Glenn A]

Driving through Carlisle on the A595/ A7 to reach the A74/ M6 before the NDR. The NDR has easily taken 20 minutes off a journey to Scotland and made Scotland Rd in Carlisle with its endless traffic lights and bus lanes history. Wigton Rd( A595) wasn't as bad, but get a set of roadworks with TTLs, which were a common occurrence, and it was another ten minutes on your journey.

[fras]

The old Bath Road (A4), Newbury to London !

[Owain]

The old Bath Road (A4), Newbury to London !

I'm assuming you mean that you don't miss what it was like before the M4?

I've driven the Reading-Bath section several times in the past decade or so, and I have to say that I'm a big fan... but of course it's a relatively quiet road these days.

[Glenn A]

The A1 through Stannington, a strange anomaly on the A1 where an S2 interrupted almost continuous D2 from Morpeth to London in the eighties and should have been by passed in the early seventies when the rest of the A1 in south Northumberland was upgraded, but was left until 1987. It was a complete bottleneck with a 50 mph speed limit and could catch motorists unawares, who often ran out of road on the D2 and had to pull in suddenly.