Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Thu 11 Feb 2010 21:49
Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1? - cosmicjazzer
I'm travelling from Brentwood, Essex to Newark on Trent, Notts, this Sunday afternoon and am wondering whether to take the A1 or M1!

The A1 is a far more direct route, some 23 miles shorter journey in fact, but is it going to be slow and full of roadworks?! Or is the M1, come to that.

Is there anyone in here genuinely in the know about this?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 11 Feb 2010 21:52
Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1? - Altea Ego
I travel to newark regularly (was weekly - now bi weekly)

Its the A1 every time. However for you I would go up the M11 then A14 then A1. You miss out the Hatfield tunnel roadworks that way. The A1 is clear all the way to newark from there.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 11 Feb 2010 21:54
Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1? - gordonbennet
Its rare but i agree with 'im.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 12 Feb 2010 05:10
Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1? - pda
I agree too!
The only roadworks I know off are on the M11 just north of junction 8, but they se to run pretty good.
Nothing on the A14 or the A1 as far as Newark either at the moment.

Pat
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 12 Feb 2010 09:51
Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1? - Alanovich
A mate of mine regularly goes from Shenfield to Wakefield, always uses M11, A14, A1 to get on his way.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 12 Feb 2010 10:09
Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1? - FP
I agree with all the responses to the OP and would only add that the M1 is surely too far west for the OP's journey and getting on to it from Brentwood would involve (presumably) the M25 anticlockwise from Jct 28 to 21a. While accessing the M25 looks convenient from Brentwood and the M25 might be OK on a Sunday afternoon I can't see the point.

I usually check the BBC travel pages immediately before starting out on any lengthy journey (bbc.co.uk/travelnews) and also trafficengland.com for current conditions.

If the OP is returning on Sunday evening I find the M1 (southbound) is busier than the A1 at this time - another reason for not using it.

Edited by ChrisPeugeot on 12/02/2010 at 10:12

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 12 Feb 2010 10:36
Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1? - M.M
Another vote for the A1. Live 10mins from it in Cambs and use it for all short hops and longer journeys. I've found the M1 just as problem prone when I've used it... seems daft to travel extra mileage over to the west and back again to use it.

I look at the RAC website interactive real time roadworks/incidents map if info is needed.

www.rac.co.uk/traffic-information/
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 12 Feb 2010 13:59
Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1? - OldSock
Oh, no contest - use the A1.

They've just about removed all the roundabouts all the way to the M62 - a great improvement over times past.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 13 Feb 2010 07:47
Essex to Notts. Best route: A1 or M1? - cosmicjazzer
Thank you for all the replies and for the helpful website links too.

I asked the question as in my years of travelling around the country (I'm a gigging musician...) I've found that, as a rule, the M road is far quicker than the A road, even if it means quite a detour. I have not much experience of the A1, however, so will try it tomorrow! Thanks again.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link