Hi Jon, on my autoroute prog it looks as though there is a resonable route from Glos Jctn 11a M5 to the M4 near Swindon. (A417 A419)... As you travel to B/ham a lot you probably know the best route to take..
My question is - - is it better to go M5.. M4.. Bath.. to get to Salisbury, from up north, or is the Glos to Swindon route a better choice?
Thanks.. James..
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Jon. (admin) route info please :-)
Moderator: RichardW
Hi Mosser, I have been taking that route for over 25 years now. En route to Poole Dorset, started doing that long before there was a bypass [:)]..
The road went right through Warminster in those days. Used to turn right at the lil roundabout and go up the hill to the "T" juction. It was quicker in those days, less traffic and no speed camera's.. Took under 4 hours from here, it now takes almost 5 hours [:(!]
So I am looking for an alternative route.. [8)] [:)] was thinking Glos, Swindon, maybe Salisbury, then onto Blandford road, then take to the country lanes through Cranborne Chase via Wimborne?..
I had thought Salisbury - Ringwood, but have been told that is a bad section of road? been lots of accidents on it?..
I sometimes meet my bro at the Beefeater pub restaurant, in Bathampton. right next to the river Avon.. Can eat, drink, and feed the ducks-swans from under the willow trees.. [^] Good place for a meet if your section of the forum fancy a nice meeting place.. 2 hours 45 mins ish for me, about 1 hour 40 mins from S/hampton, B/mouth, Weymouth areas I think.. [:)]
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The road went right through Warminster in those days. Used to turn right at the lil roundabout and go up the hill to the "T" juction. It was quicker in those days, less traffic and no speed camera's.. Took under 4 hours from here, it now takes almost 5 hours [:(!]
So I am looking for an alternative route.. [8)] [:)] was thinking Glos, Swindon, maybe Salisbury, then onto Blandford road, then take to the country lanes through Cranborne Chase via Wimborne?..
I had thought Salisbury - Ringwood, but have been told that is a bad section of road? been lots of accidents on it?..
I sometimes meet my bro at the Beefeater pub restaurant, in Bathampton. right next to the river Avon.. Can eat, drink, and feed the ducks-swans from under the willow trees.. [^] Good place for a meet if your section of the forum fancy a nice meeting place.. 2 hours 45 mins ish for me, about 1 hour 40 mins from S/hampton, B/mouth, Weymouth areas I think.. [:)]
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Jon
Blimey, you've been driving it rather a long time then !, I havent even been driving 25 years yet (I'm 33), and only moved to warminster 2 years ago, I used to live in Bracknell but got really fed up with the daily traffic jams right outside my flat, plus we found out that for the price of our 1 bedroom upstairs flat, we could have a 3 very large 3 bedroom house down here!,
The route i take is the most economical route as it has the least stop starts and the traffic flows smoothy all the way, even in rush hour !,
I usually sit in a pub in Bradford upon Avon, there is a really nice pub on the river Avon where you can feed to ducks and watch the narrow boats go past, very nice !
When you turn right at the roundabout and hit the T junction, if you turn right and go down the hill and turn right at the bottom, turn left at the end of the road and your outside my house !!
The route i take is the most economical route as it has the least stop starts and the traffic flows smoothy all the way, even in rush hour !,
I usually sit in a pub in Bradford upon Avon, there is a really nice pub on the river Avon where you can feed to ducks and watch the narrow boats go past, very nice !
When you turn right at the roundabout and hit the T junction, if you turn right and go down the hill and turn right at the bottom, turn left at the end of the road and your outside my house !!
Thanks Jon. [:)]
Well I think I am better off sticking to my usual route, as Salisbury is clearly a bottleneck area.. [:(!] and my son tells me that the Ringwood area is one long traffic jam during the summer now, and is beginning to regret buying a house there..[V]
It's rather ironic that in spite if all the road improvements made between Manchester, M6, M5, M4, Bath, to Poole-B/mouth area's during the last 25-30 years, it now takes an average of an hour longer to make a trip of 240 miles. An increase of 25% due to increased traffic and speed camera's.. [:(!] Though I deliberately choose my traveling time in order to miss most of the traffic..
Mosser, if you go to Bathampton, the Bridgwater canal is only about 400 yards away from the river Avon, they both run through that valley, and there is a nice Pub with a HUGE car park right on the banks of the canal.. [:)] I prefer to sit out by the river as its a bit more peacefull as people ride bikes n stuff along the canal tow path.. They used to run a big river boat down the Avon into Bath during the summer, If they still do that it would be a nice way to spend an evening.. [^]
Or. if you enjoy panoramic views, there is a hill called "spread-eagle" near Shaftsbury, follow the main road south for about 10 miles to Shaftsbury, at the 3rd roundabout take first left and then first right into a B road, follow that south for about 5 miles and you have to climb a very steep hill, from the top on your right you can see for about 50 miles right out across the Somerset levels, it really is an impressive view, so take your camera.. [8)] [:D] [^] On the other side of the road behind the hedges, there is a small airfield, I can't remember the name of it though [:I], but to access it, you need to go south to the first lane on your left, then go down it for another 800 yards or so and its on your left, they used to have a small club house that sold food and coffee so you could sit and watch the little planes and gliders land and take off. [^] ..
Thanks again for the information Jon... [^]
Cheers... James...
Well I think I am better off sticking to my usual route, as Salisbury is clearly a bottleneck area.. [:(!] and my son tells me that the Ringwood area is one long traffic jam during the summer now, and is beginning to regret buying a house there..[V]
It's rather ironic that in spite if all the road improvements made between Manchester, M6, M5, M4, Bath, to Poole-B/mouth area's during the last 25-30 years, it now takes an average of an hour longer to make a trip of 240 miles. An increase of 25% due to increased traffic and speed camera's.. [:(!] Though I deliberately choose my traveling time in order to miss most of the traffic..
Mosser, if you go to Bathampton, the Bridgwater canal is only about 400 yards away from the river Avon, they both run through that valley, and there is a nice Pub with a HUGE car park right on the banks of the canal.. [:)] I prefer to sit out by the river as its a bit more peacefull as people ride bikes n stuff along the canal tow path.. They used to run a big river boat down the Avon into Bath during the summer, If they still do that it would be a nice way to spend an evening.. [^]
Or. if you enjoy panoramic views, there is a hill called "spread-eagle" near Shaftsbury, follow the main road south for about 10 miles to Shaftsbury, at the 3rd roundabout take first left and then first right into a B road, follow that south for about 5 miles and you have to climb a very steep hill, from the top on your right you can see for about 50 miles right out across the Somerset levels, it really is an impressive view, so take your camera.. [8)] [:D] [^] On the other side of the road behind the hedges, there is a small airfield, I can't remember the name of it though [:I], but to access it, you need to go south to the first lane on your left, then go down it for another 800 yards or so and its on your left, they used to have a small club house that sold food and coffee so you could sit and watch the little planes and gliders land and take off. [^] ..
Thanks again for the information Jon... [^]
Cheers... James...
Well I made the trip via M6 M5 M4 Bath as per usual, left here at 11am
arrived Poole 4pm, 5 hours to cover the 240 miles.. Went to meeting with old school mates and ended up eating chips sat on the quayside at Wareham in the evening. [:)]..
Dropped some friends off in Poole at 3am ish, stayed for coffee, then set off home at 4am.. arived back here at 8am Sunday 4hrs including stopping to buy a cold drink at a service area [^] .. Brill trip back! [:D] I had the roads and motorways to myself [:D] I never saw another car from joining the M5 untill I past the M50 35 miles further north!!
I just hope no speed camera's caught me! but wont know for sure for several weeks? though I saw no flashes that isn't proof nowadays is it.. they dont all flash do they?, or if they do in bright sunlight you may not see it.. [:(!]
Went to bed at 9am Sunday, got up at 3pm.. Back to bed at 3am this morning, up again at 12... poor ole brain dont know what day it is now.. heh heh... [:I] [:D] [:)] ..
Mosser, there sure are a lot of rabbits and deer in your area! I saw hundreds of rabbits on the verges and saw at least a dozen deer cross the road between Shaftsbury and Bath.. in the early morning mist they look very spooky. [8)] [:I] nice though. [:)]
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arrived Poole 4pm, 5 hours to cover the 240 miles.. Went to meeting with old school mates and ended up eating chips sat on the quayside at Wareham in the evening. [:)]..
Dropped some friends off in Poole at 3am ish, stayed for coffee, then set off home at 4am.. arived back here at 8am Sunday 4hrs including stopping to buy a cold drink at a service area [^] .. Brill trip back! [:D] I had the roads and motorways to myself [:D] I never saw another car from joining the M5 untill I past the M50 35 miles further north!!
I just hope no speed camera's caught me! but wont know for sure for several weeks? though I saw no flashes that isn't proof nowadays is it.. they dont all flash do they?, or if they do in bright sunlight you may not see it.. [:(!]
Went to bed at 9am Sunday, got up at 3pm.. Back to bed at 3am this morning, up again at 12... poor ole brain dont know what day it is now.. heh heh... [:I] [:D] [:)] ..
Mosser, there sure are a lot of rabbits and deer in your area! I saw hundreds of rabbits on the verges and saw at least a dozen deer cross the road between Shaftsbury and Bath.. in the early morning mist they look very spooky. [8)] [:I] nice though. [:)]
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<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by James.UK</i>
I had thought Salisbury - Ringwood, but have been told that is a bad section of road? been lots of accidents on it?..
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
It used to be, but it has been straightened up a bit now. Some years ago we witnessed a pretty horiffic accident on there involving family friends following behind too.
I spend a lot of time in Ringwood, and the A31 through there gets pretty jammed in summer with people flocking to the coast
I had thought Salisbury - Ringwood, but have been told that is a bad section of road? been lots of accidents on it?..
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
It used to be, but it has been straightened up a bit now. Some years ago we witnessed a pretty horiffic accident on there involving family friends following behind too.
I spend a lot of time in Ringwood, and the A31 through there gets pretty jammed in summer with people flocking to the coast