I do Manchester to Corby quite often and the last 3 times I have done M6 all the way to M1/A14 interchange going Southbound and M1/A50/M6 going Northbound. Each time travelling both legs outside peak and each time the Northbound journey has been c.20 mins slower, even though it somehow feels quicker and I certainly don't hang about.
For this chap - don't forget that if he does the A50 it'll be mid morning when he reaches it - shopping trip time - avoid urban centres and stick to the fast roads.
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Sorry forgot, to Andrew-T and anyone else interested, Thelwall seems to be a lot better Northbound than Southbound, but still fairly unpleasant
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Personally, I would go up the M6, but come off at Kendal (J36) and then take the A590 followed by the A591 around Kendal and up through Windermere and Ambleside. It'll take you up to Keswick where you rejoin the A66 for a short leg along to Cockermouth.
It's one of the best A roads in the UK for scenery (outside of Scotland).
On a beautiful day like today (or this weekend) when its not tourist season, you just can't beat this type of road.
Enjoy
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That's interesting. I've never timed the alternatives, but I thought that the M6 had to be quicker than the A50 outside busy times, its just that the Brum M6 section is busy most of the time. We returned from Preston a couple of Sundays ago, travelling mid-day and the M6 section was fine.
Think I'll be giving the A50 a miss Saturday mid-morning, as you suggest.
andy
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Would have thought that M25, M40, M42, M6 would be better for the southern half. M40 a lot quieter than M1 in my experience.
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M40 is quiet but M42 can be busy depending on the time of day. Avoid rush-hour like the plague, especially around the M6 junctions where they are putting a new interchange in.
If you go up the A1 watch out for the speed cameras all the way from Bedfordshire through to Lincolnshire. Once in South Yorkshire it's a clear run up to Scotch Corner for the A66. A66 is dualled most of the way but there are several long sections where it's single lane each way and it's a bitch if you get stuck behind a truck doing 40.
If I were you I would do M20, M25, A1, A66. Avoid the mess that is Birmingham.
mike
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A.66 branches off A.1. at Scotch Corner and has only part dualling. It is known up in these neck of the woods as the killer road because of its undulations and single carrieageway parts when overtaking is an absolute danger but people still try.
My advice keep to the west side up.
DVD
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When I lived in Faversham a few years ago we did this journey quite a few times. I'd have thought seven hours is reasonable if the traffic is light-ish, but our longest time was ten hours. I'd go the M6 route rather than the A66, simply because the hideousness is more predictable. Stay clear of Ambleside if the weather is anything like today as the road alongside Windermere will be jammed--the Lake District National Park is a candidate for congestion charging if ever there was one. At the Cockermouth end is probably one of the most fantastic bits of twisty A-road anywhere and it's dualled so you "know" there's nothing coming the other way. You'll recognise it when you get there.
I live in Lancashire now so the Lake District is a day trip. It will be this weekend, too. Oh, and Coniston Brewery Bluebird Bitter knocks Jennings into the sea every time.
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Ah yes, had a pint last time I was in Coniston. Unfortunately just the one because I was driving. Black Sheep is also quite widely available in the area, and that's one of my (our) fav's!
Thanks
Andy
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No offence, chaps, as your advice will certainly have helped Andy S, but this thread sounds like that Monty Python (I think) sketch were all that the blokes talk about is how bad the roads were and what route they took to get there!!
By the way, if any of you see any Black Isle Brewery beer on your travels I\'d warmly recommend you to give it a go. It\'s only available in bottles (on draught at a hotel in Tore and a bar in Inverness) and is the tastiest, smoothest beer available to man. Most of the beer they brew is organic and they do all sorts from a cloudy wheat beer (mmmmmm....wheat beer) to a dark, bitter and gloriously sexy stout (mmmmmm....stout). If you see it, buy it. You ***won\'t be disappointed.
BTW (again) I\'m not on commission!
(Hang on, should I be promoting beer drinking in a motoring forum!!!!)
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(Hang on, should I be promoting beer drinking in a motoring forum!!!!)
The local BP garage sells beers, wines and spirits; if that's not promoting drinking and driving....what is?
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Come on Andy, how long did it take you, by which route?
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Sorry, I did mean to post back sooner - been snowed under since returning to work!
Left home 0605, A20, M20, M25, M1, quick p-stop at Watford Gap, M6, 20 minutes for coffee at Stafford, p-stop at Tebay, A66, Cockermouth Trout Hotel to check in at 1215.
396 miles. 370 minutes.
The traffic was really quiet on the whole route. We must have been blessed with amazing luck because the weather was brilliant, they best I have known in Cumbria I think and even the journey back on Monday was reasonable, but FAR busier!
On the way back we pottered down through Keswick, Ambleside and Windermere before carrying on to the M6 and reversing the Northward journey, except for using the A50 around 1630 hrs to avoid the Birmingham gridlock.
I'll certainly be doing more early-weekend morning travelling in future.
thanks for all the thoughts and advice.
Andy
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