I am planning a visit to the Berwick via London due to serious illness of B-i-L.
Have two options on travel time: 1. Leave London at midnight on Friday and with two drivers, go overnight. 2. Leave London at about 5 am on Saturday morning. Both returning on Sunday as co-driver is expected at work on Monday.
Anyone know of any major problems on the A1/M1/M18/A1(M) or more minor roads between Newcastle and the Borders?
Thanks - and yes, I know flying would be more sensible but am taking stuff up that my sister needs.
Edited by Honestjohn on 28/10/2009 at 09:09
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Anyone else think it was a thread about London having Border controls?!
(Fixed that at the head of the thread. HJ.)
I'd have thought that either of those times would give you a clear run with little traffic on either, so I doubt you'd need to worry about road works unless you come across an accident which has shut the road... Nice drive at those times, I'd prefer it to flying...
Edited by Honestjohn on 28/10/2009 at 09:10
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Let the train take the strain! Berwick is mainline station London-Edinburgh, it can of course be costly!
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There are a few sections of 50mph through roadworks, between where the A19 leaves the A1 and Scotch Corner. There are average speed cameras. Last few times I've used it, it hasn't been too painful.
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I would imagine you would get a completely free run either time.
I also think you would be mad to fly - I flew Stansted to Glasgow the other month. What a waste of time - Stansted is a hateful airport, and by the time I'd got there, queued for ages, been herded on, waited for bags at the other end etc, I would have got there just as quick on the train and it would have been far more pleasant.
I was sucked in by the fact that flying was £10 cheaper. Except is wasn't as the Stansted express was about £19.
Totally pointless, just enjoy the drive on empty roads. Hope your relative is okay.
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I can only speak for the northern bit.
As others have said, long average 50mph stretches on the A1 north of Wetherby, but I've not encountered any jams.
Think I'd be inclined to take the A168/A19 at Dishforth and trundle up through Teesside and the Tyne Tunnel before rejoining the A1.
There's not much in it, mileage-wise, but you'll avoid some of the roadworks on the A1 in County Durham and the A1 past Gateshead and Newcastle, which can get jammed at any time.
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There is about 10 miles of 50mph road works from Blyth (Notts) to Redhouse on DOncaster Bypass.
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Once did the trip there and back in a weekend myself probably 30 years ago when brother was very ill and Mum in a panic..very tiring and around a nine hours drive each way.
Last year I did the journey from Sussex to Alnwick in 7 hours actual driving M23 , M25& A1 with a couple of 1/2 hour breaks. Its another 30 minutes or so to Berwick.Virtually all motorway until north of Newcastle
I would see no problems with an overnight , particularly when you have two drivers.
The only bad traffic problem during the day was getting through Gateshead and Newcastle.
( Oh - and I wrote the car off in the Morpeth floods - but thats another story )....
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Jim Clark did London to Berwick in 5.5 hours in a Mk 1 Lotus Cortina, before any of the M improvements to the old A1 (and before the NSL of course). I imagine that would have been at night.
I don't know that I'd try it myself now - I might actually - but I would have thought a reasonably fit person, not overtired to start with, would arrive as fresh as a daisy after starting at midnight although ready for a large breakfast and a rest. Would depend a bit on the car I guess.
Go carefully deepwith.
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Either outbound plan will work although I'd probably just get up early on Saturday. Returning to London on the Sunday will be the more difficult/busy trip.
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In the 60's on the old AI any normal driver would be hard pushed to average 50 mph because it was mainly single / dual carriageway and you got trapped behind queues of lorries for miles, particularly if you were in the typical Mini / Viva .
In Jim Clarks autobiography he tells the story of one trip up to Scotland at that time.
He had great fun surprising and overtaking a Ford Thunderbird from one of the USAF bases at somewhere in excess of 100 mph ( he could only estimate speed --no speedo , only a rev counter ) in his Ecurie Ecosse team Lotus Cortina on a quiet Sunday somewhere in Lincolnshire on the old A1.
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Many thanks to you all, starting with thanks to HJ for changing the heading.
We will probably take HJ's advice and leave early on Saturday choosing a route with reference to your helpful information. Not looking forward to returning on Sunday as it will be the last day of half-term round London, but cannot be helped.
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I would aim to be north of Newcastle before 8am. The MetroCentre between now and Christmas will be awful, especially at weekends.
The TyneTunnel has major works going on until Dec. 2010 with the addition of a second tunnel so is not really an alternative.
Edited by gmac on 28/10/2009 at 22:19
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...The TyneTunnel has major works going on until Dec. 2010 with the addition of a second tunnel so is not really an alternative...
Well, the works are the building of a second tunnel, so the existing one remains fully open.
I wold rather go this way than the A1 Gateshead Western Bypass, but it's one of those where you could get stuck either way.
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