Visiting area - route advice please

Visiting area - route advice please

Author
Discussion

buachaille193

Original Poster:

201 posts

138 months

Monday 3rd March 2014
quotequote all
Will be working in Brighton next week. Hoping to visit family in Kings Hill one evening.

Google suggests A23/M23/M25/M20 or A27/A26/skirting the South of Royal Tunbridge Wells to A228.

Which would be lay likely to be snarled with traffic. I'm assuming the latter option. Any thoughts on journey times at rush hour for these routes?

Your help is very much appreciated.

Thanks

Raify

6,552 posts

247 months

Monday 3rd March 2014
quotequote all
You can't "skirt" around Tunbridge Wells, you just have to drive through it. At peak times, it could take you 45 mins just to get from one side of Tun Wells to King's Hill.

I'd be inclined to go the motorway route, you'll be going against the flow of traffic mostly. Off at m20/a228 and you're right at King's Hill.

buachaille193

Original Poster:

201 posts

138 months

Monday 3rd March 2014
quotequote all
Google was suggesting Bunny Lane/A267/Forest Road to go around the south of Royal Tonbridge Wells, instead of straight through. Would that be feasible, or still best to take the motorway route?

Raify

6,552 posts

247 months

Monday 3rd March 2014
quotequote all
Bunny lane is a great driving rd, by the way.

That route is OK. But it either puts you right into the traffic of Pembury rd or onto the hell of Halls hole rd. It's a short cut but very narrow and gets congested. They've installed traffic lights where it meets Pembury rd, and then you still have to negotiate the Pembury lights.

Even with normal traffic and no problems, it'll take at least 40 mins from Bunny Lane to King's Hill.

It can take 20 mins just to clear the Pembury rd at 7.30-8.00 am.

buachaille193

Original Poster:

201 posts

138 months

Monday 3rd March 2014
quotequote all
Raify, I guess I'll do motorway on the way there and cross country on the way back later that night.

Thanks for your help.

Raify

6,552 posts

247 months

Tuesday 4th March 2014
quotequote all
It will be a nice drive out of rush hours, providing you don't collect a monospeeder on the road to Brighton.

Take Halls Hole rd, Forest rd, Bunny lane route on the way back. Avoiding Tun Wells is easier in that direction

buachaille193

Original Poster:

201 posts

138 months

Wednesday 5th March 2014
quotequote all
That was the plan, with some other bits further south, thanks to the "Kent Drives" thread on here.

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Wednesday 5th March 2014
quotequote all
If you don't mind a bit of lane action you certainly can avoid Tunbridge Wells when approaching on the A26.

Bunny Lane
Right on A267 to Frant
Then left to Bells Yew Green
Straight over the B2169
Fork right here.
To the A21 at Kippings Cross roundabout.

From there either
Left on A21 to Pembury then A228
or
Straight ahead on B2160
Fork left on B2017
Right at roundabout onto A228

Done it many times (including both routes to/from Kippings Cross).
You avoid the joy (NOT!) of

- trundling through Hawkenbury.
- the very dodgy narrow section of Halls Hole Lane.
- the interminable wait for the green light at the Pembury Road junction.
- the crawl from there along the A264 to Pembury.

andye30m3

3,451 posts

253 months

Wednesday 5th March 2014
quotequote all
Another alternative with so reasonable driving roads is

A27 Up to Lewes
as you leave lewes on the A26 turn right to Ringmer
follow road towards East Hoathley, Blackboys and then mayfield
then head towards Frant

at Frant can turn right towards Bells Yew Green as noted above or continue to Forrest Road as mentioned by someone else

Edited by andye30m3 on Wednesday 5th March 10:03

Mr Jenks

1,204 posts

264 months

Wednesday 5th March 2014
quotequote all
Some good roads this waydriving

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Friday 7th March 2014
quotequote all
andye30m3 said:
Another alternative with so reasonable driving roads is

A27 Up to Lewes
as you leave lewes on the A26 turn right to Ringmer
follow road towards East Hoathley, Blackboys and then mayfield
then head towards Frant

at Frant can turn right towards Bells Yew Green as noted above or continue to Forrest Road as mentioned by someone else
yes

Just to add East Hoathly is off the A22 towards Eastbourne.
The route you mention crosses it at the roundabout in Halland.


Mr Jenks said:
Some good roads this waydriving
Not bad, but the A21 can be a pain between the lights at Flimwell and the Lamberhurst bypass at Scotney Castle.
Likewise a slog from the other end of it up to the roundabout at Kippings Cross