Good driving roads

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Toby_HDi
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Good driving roads

Post by Toby_HDi »

Christmas is coming and I hate it immensely. This means Chirstmas Day I'll be going for a long drive.

Last year, in my Alfa, I did nearly 200 miles around Hampshire, Wiltshire, Surrey and a little bit of West Sussex.

This year I think I'll go further North or, more likely, further West down into Dorset, Somerset and possibly Devon.

Any suggestions for some really good driving roads in said areas?
Toby


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Post by vince »

Toby there are some great roads up here but i fear it might be a tad too far up? Winter weather aswell would probably put paid to any trips to this road....there is a great road from Holmfirth over the tops and down to the A616? from sheffield to glossop. Its a great Xantia road with loads up ups and sudden camber changes. As its totally straight too you can really put the suspension through its paces :wink:
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Re: Good driving roads

Post by CitroJim »

Toby_HDi wrote:Christmas is coming and I hate it immensely.
Bet you don't hate it as much as I do Toby :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

Going for a drive is a good idea and no traffic to worry about when everybody else is stuffed full of stringy cardboard (aka turkey) and comatose from too much ethanol consumption...

Near to you, may I recommend the A359 from its junction with the A303 next to the Haynes Motor Museum at Sparkford onward through Bruton and on to the junction with the A361 at Nunney Catch. Carry on the A361 all the way through Devizes, through Avebury and on to Swindon if you want a nice long drive. Hop on the M4 at Swindon to give the Coupe a good blast. Come off at J13, run down the A34 a bit until Bullington Cross (A303 junction) and then meander along the A30 to take you home via Stockbridge, Salisbury and Blandford Forum Via the A354.

Now that's a good way to enjoy Christmas day :D :D

I think I may just do the same....
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Post by addo »

I don't do Christmas, so a mate and I usually hit the frog - I'll remember to make sandwiches the night before, this time! :oops:

We'll probably cover 1200-odd kilometres of back roads; depends a little on petrol availability! The truck stops put a fat surcharge on many things like coffees.

My brother will be working; he likes the fact that super-duper overtime is there for the taking because everyone else feels so compelled to suffer a day with their families.
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Post by RichardW »

Forget that poncy southern stuff - get yourself up here north of the border for some jaw dropping drives. Google belach na ba for instance! Mind you that is 5 or 6 hours north of here, and we are 8 hours north of you.... :lol: Oh, and there's probably about 8 ft of snow on it at the moment :cry:
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Post by CitroJim »

I've spent Christmas down your way Adam and there's something fundamentally surreal (for a Pom at least) about it happening at the height of summer.

For the benefit of the kids, lots of fake snow is used and Santa braves the 38 degree heat of Darwin in full red costume and big white beard. I salute that man, he must have been positively melting under that lot...

I've worked in the past whenever I could too. Never much resistance to a willing volunteer for Christmas duties!

Toby, for a nice run up to the A303 en-route to the BoL museum, try going up the A357 through Shillingstone, Sturminster Newton, Henstridge and Templecombe. You're following the route of the old Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway on that route. Last time I did that route was in the old 405 when Sian was a baby. It's a bit twisty and she spent some of the journey throwing up, poor girl...

In fact driving the whole route of the old Somerset and Dorset all the way to Bath would be good. Stunning roads and scenery through the Mendips and in Shepton Mallet some of the old viaducts are still extant.

I often try to combine a drive for pleasure along the route of a long dismantled railway; two of my interests combined...
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Post by CitroJim »

RichardW wrote:Forget that poncy southern stuff - get yourself up here north of the border for some jaw dropping drives.
Richard, I must. I have never been further North of the border than Gretna and I'm well overdue to come up your way one of these days.

In fact even getting there is good. The M6 through the Lake District is jaw droppingly beautiful... First time I saw it I could not believe we were still in the UK... I thought the old Xantia had somehow teleported us to the Alps...
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Post by addo »

I've been in love with the Alps since first seeing The Italian Job.

My two possible routes:

One
Two

If the latter, we'll do a bunch of weeding/clearing at my property.
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Post by Xaccers »

How can you not like xmas?
There's magic in the air, Bond and Flash Gordon on telly, bargain food to be had.
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Post by Citroening »

addo wrote:I've been in love with the Alps since first seeing The Italian Job.
My favourite film!
You can't beat the roads through the Alps...if only we had a Lamborghini Miura to drive them though! :) :wink:
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Post by Citroenmad »

Lamborghini Miura! I dont think that would be keeping up with an Activa! :lol:

Ah, Ba'h Humbug! Its Christmas! Ive got time off work for the Christmas few days, as I like this time of year. Though im having to work new years day, not impressed with that! So about the only driving ill be doing this Christmas day is too and from relatives and friends houses.

Anyway, as im quite far North and well out of the way my most liked driving roads around here are probably a bit pointless.

However, my most favourite road around here is the Butter Tubs pass. Its about 30-40 miles from here, though once ive done the bit of dual cartridge ways most roads are pretty entertaining to get there.

The Butter Tubs pass, has been featured on Topgear more than a few times. In North Yorkshire between Hawes and Leyburn. Its a great driving road, tight turns, steep hills, narrow sections, sweeping bends, not to mention the extreme cliff drops just at the side of the roads. There are many good roads over there, really enjoyable to drive.

With one of my previous cars I did a group drive in that area, it was excellent fun, not sure if my car thought so but i did.

When i get time its often somewhere i go for a drive on a Sunday, if only i had an Activa to take me there! Ive been in my C5 twice, it doesnt much like it, it would rather go much too slowly, so i often end up taking something else, the Xm is good! Or our little Seat.

The drive to Helmsley is an excellent drive for me, very fast, flowing and a great Citroen road - even the C5 excelles on there. Though there one or two 4 wheels in the air moments! Best avoided at weekends unless you like dodging 1000 bikers, but during the weeks its one of my favourite trips out. I used to commute over there every other week, real good fun. Always used to make me feel sick as a kid though :lol:

If i feel like going a bit further, then the drive around and up to Tan Hill is a good one. Though best avoided in the winter, unless you have some snow chains!

Thinking about good roads really makes me want to drive them. Wouldn't it be nice to have a comfy diesel hack and a sporty thing for the weekends ... im starting to think so!
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Post by evilally »

Might I suggest an FCF meet at Applecross this summer :lol:
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Post by Toby_HDi »

Thanks fellas. Jim, I bet I hate it even more than you! :evil:

Some of the Northern suggestions are just a tad too far, I'd love to do it but funds don't allow it at the moment.

I'll see if I can get a route out of some of those suggestions.
evilally wrote:Might I suggest an FCF meet at Applecross this summer
I would love to do that. Once the Coupé is fully sorted, I'm going up to the Highlands for a driving holiday.
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Post by red_dwarfers »

Probably a bit out of your reach but I'll mention one of my favourite routes that has stretches of twisties and long straights up and down some hills with some good views.
Start at Tiverton and head along the A361 (North Devon Link Road), this is the long mostly straight A road with some pretty good views, also not too far from Exmoor or to be specific, Dunkery Beacon where you can see right over to Wales on a clear day. Roads to there are varied, some classic Devonshire back roads with trees reaching over from both sides with the occasional peek of the many hills rolling into each other along with ridiculous junctions and almost 360 degree corners.
After a quick jaunt around Exmoor I head toward South Molton and travel down the B3226 to the A377. This is a rather good for A road twisties, though passing through and around some villages. When you come to Barnstaple Cross take the Higher road to bypass Crediton and head straight along it until you come to the A3072 to Tiverton. This a a very good road for twisties, why it isn't a B road I'm not sure!

There is a good variety of roads about. Depending on the mood you are in you can get to some where via a main road or take a slower more interesting route such as thisroad to Drewsteignton
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Post by Toby_HDi »

Well I've taken a few of the suggestions a sort of made a route. I've posted the map below...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en& ... 469177&z=9

Feel free to amend if you think there are some better roads in amongst that. I'd go further into Devon and Somerset but about 200 miles is about the limit for fuel costs. Might be able to stretch a tad further than that but not too far.
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