I notice that I am not alone in living in the West Country.
I thought it would be interesting to discuss motoring in the area and how it differes from other parts of the UK.
I notice on the whole
Longer car journeys
More windy roads
More courtesy
More Sunday Drivers
More Tractors and slow moving vehicles
Also - how about a West Country Meet?
H
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Hugo,
Phoenicks and Joshua are down your way, which bit of the west country are you in?
Stu.
(relocating west...eventually!)
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...aah, Cornwall, sorry just read your {P}.
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Yes, driving in the West country is great. Little traffic and no speed cameras on mmy way to work, just great winding roads with a fantastic uphill switchback.
A west country meet would be good.
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As we speak, moves are afoot to enable us to join you in the West Country.
I always dread returning back towards London from there. The amount of time spent on the M25 is just a matter of luck. When leaving here to do the journey we leave about 4.30am and so can be past Exeter by breakfast time.
We're hoping (by the end of the month) to have secured our bolt-hole a mile or so off the A38 Devon Expressway so can get to Plymouth, Exeter, Newton Abbott and Teignmouth all without too much difficulty. How busy does that road get in the height of summer? We've not been there in the middle of August. Can't be any worse than the M4 elevated section though, surely?
Still have much to learn but,at the moment, can't wait to be there.
KB.
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I am fortunate to live in The Duchy of Cornwall, and can report that traffic conditions here at the moment are absolutely horrendous. Today there was an eight mile jam on the A30 between Camborne and Penzance, not caused by any accident but sheer numbers of vehicles.
To make matters worse, the proposed dualling of the main A30 between Carland Cross and the Bodmin by-pass is also not scheduled to start for a further 3 years.
If you want to go somewhere with nigh empty roads, and blast any carbon build-up out of your motor, I can thoroughly recommend Scotland. !!!!
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We're hoping (by the end of the month) to have secured our bolt-hole a mile or so off the A38 Devon Expressway so can get to Plymouth, Exeter, Newton Abbott and Teignmouth all without too much difficulty. How busy does that road get in the height of summer? We've not been there in the middle of August. Can't be any worse than the M4 elevated section though, surely?
The A38 Devon Express Way?
The worst area I have ever (and often) come accross is the approach to the Tamar Bridge as you go into Cornwall.
The road is not too bad on the whole, although it can get clogged up during the summer - but you're right it is nowhere near as bad as the elevated section of the M4! I know that road well too!
H
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I moved to London from Cornwall some years ago, and go down there every now and then to visit the rest of my family. I always love the drive down, via A303/A38, but why does it always start raining as soon as I get past Exeter?
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Thanks, Hugo.
To be a bit more precise, the area within our sights is Bovey Tracey. I guess the trick is simply to avoid the bit you mention during the busy periods. Exeter is a good bit closer than Plymouth.....is that a nightmare too?
KB.
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I cover most of the west country, Gloucester downward, love those roads around Cullompton, Bow, Oakehampton, up over to Dulverton and out over the moors, even better in the winter when there's only sheep about.
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Thanks, Hugo. To be a bit more precise, the area within our sights is Bovey Tracey. I guess the trick is simply to avoid the bit you mention during the busy periods. Exeter is a good bit closer than Plymouth.....is that a nightmare too? KB.
Bovey Tracey's nice.
I don't go to Exeter that much but the A30/M5 area is usually pretty good.
I don't travel there during commuting times though.
H
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KB
Just spent a week in devon, just south of the A38 nr Buckfast. (Avonwick) The A38 was fine most of the week, bad accident just outside plymouth closed it tho. Not unusual I am told.
The other A roads tho in devon are slow with coaches, grockels and aggies (specially the combines - seem to be bringing in the crops early this year), but knowledge of the back lanes will soon have you missing all the traffic.
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I live in Exmouth & drive around alot of Devon & left often Cornwall where I was born & lived until I was 15.
This time of year is an absolute nightmare. My commute into Exeter is lengthened by 30mins if the weather is bad & the holiday folk head into the City instead!
Mark
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I was born and grew up in Somerset, despite not so brief excursions to Scotland, Durham, Australia and now west Oxfordshire I still visit my family who still live in the West Country.
Agree about the normally empty roads becoming a nightmare during the summer holidays....my parents can be virtually trapped, unable to get out of their road if an accident occurs on the M5 as all the traffic diverts onto the A370 and A38, these rapidly fail to cope and you have grid lock....happens virtually every Saturday during July and August.
Ian L.
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I lived in the Westcountry all my life - grew up in Somerset.
Spent the last seven years (till 2002) commuting along the coast road between Weymouth and Bridport, reckoned one of the UK's most picturesque routes. From March to November the grocks drove me up the wall - driving along at 20mph, with their heads at 90 degrees to the road, diving onto the verge either side without warning to stop and look at the view, and as for the caravans...
I wanted to mount a poster campaign in the Home Counties and Midlands, saying something like: 'how would you like it if we came to your area every year and drove so thoughtlessly on your roads?'
Motor caravans used to wind me up as well - jamming all the laybys at night to avoid paying a few quid into the local economy!
I was lucky - managed to sell the house to a Londoner and escape to rural France, where the roads really do still make driving (or biking) enjoyable.
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