What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

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nickoli
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Re: What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

Post by nickoli »

danfw194 wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 20:43 My favourite primary routes are the A50 (between Derby and Stoke) and the A55 North Wales Expressway.
The A55 I love, but I often need to use the A50 between Stoke and Uttoxeter, sometimes Stoke and Derby, and try to actively avoid it. It's boring and the concrete surface is noisy and uncomfortable in small cars. I usually use either the A522 or the B5027/A34 if I've got the time.

The A34 between Stoke and Stafford is a great road.
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Glenn A
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Re: What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

Post by Glenn A »

I have a lot of love for the A67 from Bowes to Darlington, and use this in preference to the A66. You pass through the beautiful cobbled town centre of Barnard Castle, Raby Castle, and the lack of traffic means you can motor along at 60 mph easily, and then it delivers you back to the A66 on the edge of Darlo.
In a perverse sense of beauty, the A66 Middlesbrough by pass is interesting as you see the Riverside Stadium in a post industrial wasteland and there are plenty of indicators of Middlesbrough's industrial past and then the huge chemical works at Wilton and Teesport in the distance.
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owen b
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Re: What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

Post by owen b »

Glenn A wrote: Sun Jun 03, 2018 15:00 I have a lot of love for the A67 from Bowes to Darlington, and use this in preference to the A66. You pass through the beautiful cobbled town centre of Barnard Castle, Raby Castle, and the lack of traffic means you can motor along at 60 mph easily, and then it delivers you back to the A66 on the edge of Darlo.
Raby Castle is right next to the A688 just north of Staindrop. We used to go on family picnics to Weardale and Teesdale when I was a kid and we always looked out for the deer in the castle frounds.
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Ritchie333
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Re: What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

Post by Ritchie333 »

Alderpoint wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 18:14
Big L wrote:My satnav, set to 'fastest route', decided to take me from Bala to Shrewsbury via the B4391 and B4396. The B4391 in particular was a lot of fun and very pretty.
Yep great road. Past the Knockin shop and over the mountain. Our usual route to (and from) Bala. Normally far more interesting than following the traffic on the A5 -although that's a good road too late at night if heading for the midnight ferry from Holyhead.
Sorry for bumping this thread, but I'm on holiday in North Wales this week, and consequently I had cause to drive from Bala to Blaenau Ffestiniog (specifically Zip World) and noticed the B4391 was the quickest route and ... wow, I thought I knew every scenic road in Wales, but this was a new one for me and the view was incredible. The driving itself reminded me a bit of the A4059 between Hirwaun and the A470, but the backdrop of Snowdonia and the Menai Strait behind it reminded me why I was enthusiastic about roads. :D

As for the A5 from Bangor to Chirk, yes a great road and my route of choice coming back from Ireland, although I do remember taking a very leisurely trip from the Holyhead Ferry to hit Shrewsbury at 10pm, thinking "not to worry, I can cane it at full speed now", not realising seemingly the entire route back home was plagued with roadworks, including bits of the M1 and M25 down to one lane and the QE2 Bridge closed ... finally got home about 3am.
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tom66
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Re: What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

Post by tom66 »

For views:
Motorway - A74(M)/M74 - absolutely stunning route for a motorway
A- or B-Road - any of the lesser-used roads near the Scottish border (pleasure to drive)

For ease of journey:
I really like the A421 past Bedford - not too badly congested most of the time and a well maintained dual carriageway

I'm also fond of the new A14 past Cambridge - can be a bit hectic in rush hour but quite good outside of those hours - always free flowing in my experience too
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owen b
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Re: What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

Post by owen b »

Ritchie333 wrote: Wed Jul 27, 2022 20:04 Sorry for bumping this thread, but I'm on holiday in North Wales this week, and consequently I had cause to drive from Bala to Blaenau Ffestiniog (specifically Zip World) and noticed the B4391 was the quickest route and ... wow, I thought I knew every scenic road in Wales, but this was a new one for me and the view was incredible. The driving itself reminded me a bit of the A4059 between Hirwaun and the A470, but the backdrop of Snowdonia and the Menai Strait behind it reminded me why I was enthusiastic about roads. :D
Are you sure it was the Menai Strait you could see from the B4391? Surely the Vale of Ffestiniog to where it meets the open sea at Tremadog Bay? I used to drive the B4391 quite often in days gone by, but rarely these days sadly.
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multiraider2
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Re: What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

Post by multiraider2 »

As this thread has been resurrected, a mention for a road omitted the last time around and which I've had the pleasure to drive on this week; the B3293. Good straights across Goonhilly Downs and a couple of bendy bits to test your steering. Usually moving at a pace.
Glenn A
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Re: What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

Post by Glenn A »

I always enjoy the A74(M), a relatively quiet motorway where you pass through some spectacular scenery and have the WCML for company for most of the journey.
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solocle
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Re: What's everyone's favourite road to travel on and why?

Post by solocle »

Glenn A wrote: Sun Jul 31, 2022 14:34 I always enjoy the A74(M), a relatively quiet motorway where you pass through some spectacular scenery and have the WCML for company for most of the journey.
I used the B7076 as an NMU. Lovely scenery, and well graded, but unfortunately it gives the impression of not being resurfaced since the construction of the A74(M) - which was constant company.
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From that trip, the A82 has to be the most stunning road. Scenery out of this world.
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The A30 has big sentimental value, though. I grew up a mile away from it, and it's the road to London. As a kid I remember tracing its route on a map.
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From the SABRE Wiki: A30 :

The A30 is the third longest A-road in Britain, yet for about half its length it's non-primary - playing second fiddle first to the M3 and then to the A303. However, it is a lifeline to the people of Cornwall as well as Central and Western Devon, as for most of its route between Honiton and Penzance it is a mostly grade-separated dual carriageway.

[[File:A30 Basingstoke half-built

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