London to Lyme Regis(ish) - best route?

[braddo]

The two obvious routes suggested by Google - M3 then A303, versus M3 all the way down and then across A31/A35 - are both assigned pretty much identical time and distance.

I'm heading down around there on a Friday afternoon, leaving SW London at around 2-3pm. Given this time of day and/or any other reason, can anyone suggest which route they might prefer?

Is one more reliable? Is one better for the scenic drive?

Thanks

[anonymous-user]

I went M3 all the way down as I am so bored of the A303 (it's the way to my mums house)

The A31 or 5 can't remember which was nice and scenic as it goes

With both of these roads you are unfortunately dependant on other people as one accident can gridlock them all

[BMWBen]

braddo said:

The two obvious routes suggested by Google - M3 then A303, versus M3 all the way down and then across A31/A35 - are both assigned pretty much identical time and distance.

I'm heading down around there on a Friday afternoon, leaving SW London at around 2-3pm. Given this time of day and/or any other reason, can anyone suggest which route they might prefer?

Is one more reliable? Is one better for the scenic drive?

Thanks

a
A35/31 is pretty slow tbh - roundabouts, single carriageway, traffic around poole.... stuck behind a horsebox with nowhere to overtake between poole and weymouth...

Your risk!

(Plus, if you go 303, then it's a B road blast down to Lyme at the end right?)

[CarlT]

braddo said:

The two obvious routes suggested by Google - M3 then A303, versus M3 all the way down and then across A31/A35 - are both assigned pretty much identical time and distance.

I'm heading down around there on a Friday afternoon, leaving SW London at around 2-3pm. Given this time of day and/or any other reason, can anyone suggest which route they might prefer?

Is one more reliable? Is one better for the scenic drive?

Thanks

IIRC the A303 has roadworks on it near Stonehenge at the moment, which means I would go the other route.

You may want to try and avoid the A31 / A35 as well and cut across the top of Dorset...

[Truckosaurus]

Now then.

I currently live at the top end of the M3 and my hometown is Weymouth, so I'm familiar with the routes.

You have 2 choices:

1) M3 to Southampton, M27 westwards, then the A31 across the New Forest to Ringwood and then wind around Bournemouth to Dorchester and onto Lyme.

2) M3 to A303, come off at Andover and head towards Salisbury (past the amusingly named Middle Wallop), then Salisbury to Blandford and Dorchester etc.

Route 1 is quickest if there's no traffic but the merest hint of grockles backs the road up across the forest and then once you're past Ferndown it's one lane each way until the Puddletown bypass.

Route 2 only gets traffic around Salisbury but the route towards Blandford seems to miss most of it. Although it's one lane roads from the A303 they are amusing and there's plenty of overtaking opportunities due to lesser levels of traffic (average speed of traffic seems higher too).

Edit: Spelling.

[tmcgurk]

Depending on what time you leave, 303 will most likely be a nightmare around Amesbury due to resurfacing works unless you travel after 9pm...

Roads down to and around Lyme Regis are fab though so there would be a treat at the end!

[CarlT]

Personally, I would go A3 on to the A31 at Guildford, then join the M3 at Winchester, take the M27 and then come off at junction 2 to join the A36 towards Blandford. Then follow the signs to Dorchester and then the A35 to Lyme Regis.

Great roads and should avoid most of the traffic...

[maniac0796]

All routes are a hell hole.

If you can spare the mileage, I would say the quickest would actually be M4, M5, off at junction 25 for taunton.

Now, it gets a bit localish here, but you would then go through taunton, out along the road to corfe, and follow that all the way to the A303, where you would hang a right on it, then about 3 miles down the road, hang a left onto stockland straights, which would take you to just outside of axminster, where you would go up the A35, take the turning into lyme, and bish bash bosh, the kettles on!

It's that age old question of whether you take the shortest or quickest route.

And the road from taunton to the 303 is a fecking blast if you can get it without traffic

And here's an edit to show ye

Edited by maniac0796 on Tuesday 22 February 22:04