Trip to Cornwall via Dartmoor, couple of questions...
Discussion
The B3212 is excellent, one of my favourite roads. It isn't NSL as it's within the National Park so it's a 40 limit, however all of it is very well sighted so a little "over-exuberance" should be fine. I would say the whole journey is fine to do in a day for anyone who enjoys driving.
Enjoy :-)
Enjoy :-)
The A303 will be hell especially around Stonehenge during Easter holidays unless you can aim to be there for around 9am it will be slow all the way, even when you do get there going towards Devon will be hell also.
As for Dartmoor, most of the roads are low speed limits due to the wandering wildlife, ponies, sheep etc all wander free on the moors.
As for Dartmoor, most of the roads are low speed limits due to the wandering wildlife, ponies, sheep etc all wander free on the moors.
We normally leave essex @ 4am in the summer, this ensures a painfree run to stonehenge for a brief stop then crack on you will inevitably collect some traffic at some point but we can make it to brixham in about 4 1/2 hrs.
Fishing by 9am,Fish untill 4pm home by 10pm. so cornwall wont be a problem in a day.
Fishing by 9am,Fish untill 4pm home by 10pm. so cornwall wont be a problem in a day.
down4whatever said:
The B3212 is excellent, one of my favourite roads. It isn't NSL as it's within the National Park so it's a 40 limit, however all of it is very well sighted so a little "over-exuberance" should be fine. I would say the whole journey is fine to do in a day for anyone who enjoys driving.
Enjoy :-)
One of my favourite roads. Enjoy :-)
Nickyboy said:
The A303 will be hell especially around Stonehenge during Easter holidays
M4/M5 is a far better route from London to Exeter. Will still be slow around the hilly parts of Somerset, but much better than the A303.
A303 can be a great road for hooning, but not on Easter weekend.
The roads over Dartmoor are great.
Exmoor would be a bit out the way if you're coming down the A303, but if you take the M4/5, it might be worth taking in Exmoor before dropping down onto Dartmoor. The A39 is quite good, from memory, as are most of the B-roads over Exmoor providing the tourists aren't out.
Exmoor would be a bit out the way if you're coming down the A303, but if you take the M4/5, it might be worth taking in Exmoor before dropping down onto Dartmoor. The A39 is quite good, from memory, as are most of the B-roads over Exmoor providing the tourists aren't out.
excel monkey said:
Nickyboy said:
The A303 will be hell especially around Stonehenge during Easter holidays
M4/M5 is a far better route from London to Exeter. Will still be slow around the hilly parts of Somerset, but much better than the A303.
A303 can be a great road for hooning, but not on Easter weekend.
Major works on/around the Countess Roundabout, PITA in the week let alone a holiday weekend.
Look for B+B is Marazion or Penzance.
Take a day to go to St Ives, but go on the train. It's one of the branch lines that survived Beeching in the 60's and is lovely. plus it's impossible to park in St Ives.
Go to St Michaels mount for a morning/afternoon and take a walk along Hayle Towans. Plenty of secluded coves and fishing villages on the Lizard peninsula too.
Eden project if you must, but I suspect you will be underwelmed.
Enjoy!
Take a day to go to St Ives, but go on the train. It's one of the branch lines that survived Beeching in the 60's and is lovely. plus it's impossible to park in St Ives.
Go to St Michaels mount for a morning/afternoon and take a walk along Hayle Towans. Plenty of secluded coves and fishing villages on the Lizard peninsula too.
Eden project if you must, but I suspect you will be underwelmed.
Enjoy!
excel monkey said:
M4/M5 is a far better route from London to Exeter. Will still be slow around the hilly parts of Somerset, but much better than the A303.
A303 can be a great road for hooning, but not on Easter weekend.
Another vote for the roads across Dartmoor, which are lovely. But, a definite "yes" to the warnings about traffic - London to Cornwall has been known to take 9 hours (once, on some bank holiday I now forget), including being wholly stationary on the 303 for quite a while. South Devon back to London has also been known to result in cross-country navigation by the sun, due to the main roads being rammed beyond belief. Outlandish timing, or creative routing (which will still be very time consuming, just less soul-detroying than sitting on the M4/M5) are the only realistic options to hours of main road nightmare.
For somewhere to stay try St. Mawes - very nice place, easy to get to Falmouth on the ferry, or up to Truro on the Enterprise boats - well worth doing. If you're not a horticulturalist you may find the Eden Project a bit of a let-down - I'd recommend visiting the Lost Gardens of Heligan instead. And if you like your ale, Skinners Brewery is worth a quick visit, as well as the St Austell Brewery in St Awful.
I live in London and my parents live in cornwall and my dad commutes to/from southampton, so were quite well versed in getting there.
Leave earlier, you want to be well on your way down the A30 by 10am. Leave at 4.30am and go M4 - M5 - A30. Two hours along M4, 1.5 hours on the M5 and two on the A30 to Lands End if you get a smooth run. It's an early start but think how nice a nap on the beach will be.
The A303 is quicker SOMETIMES, and more fun, but only when it's empty. At any remotely busy time and its hours of stop and start. The worst bit it the stone henge bit and by the pig city. Just horrible.
Unfortunately with Cornwall & bank holidays, anything fun and interesting to do will be rammo. St Ives, Sennen, Gwithian etc. All nice. Eden project is great but will be busy.
If you fancy a nice lunch pop into the Gurnards Head between St Just and Zennor. Just along from St Ives on the best coast road ever, the B3306. Call up and book now though, as it's probably booking up already. Serves Skinners, Heligan Honey etc. At the other end of the spectrum is Trewellard Meadery, popular with the locals and serves an assortment of deep friend pub food on wooden plates, in a very dark medieval themed restaurant.
Holiday homes are nice this time of year.
Leave earlier, you want to be well on your way down the A30 by 10am. Leave at 4.30am and go M4 - M5 - A30. Two hours along M4, 1.5 hours on the M5 and two on the A30 to Lands End if you get a smooth run. It's an early start but think how nice a nap on the beach will be.
The A303 is quicker SOMETIMES, and more fun, but only when it's empty. At any remotely busy time and its hours of stop and start. The worst bit it the stone henge bit and by the pig city. Just horrible.
Unfortunately with Cornwall & bank holidays, anything fun and interesting to do will be rammo. St Ives, Sennen, Gwithian etc. All nice. Eden project is great but will be busy.
If you fancy a nice lunch pop into the Gurnards Head between St Just and Zennor. Just along from St Ives on the best coast road ever, the B3306. Call up and book now though, as it's probably booking up already. Serves Skinners, Heligan Honey etc. At the other end of the spectrum is Trewellard Meadery, popular with the locals and serves an assortment of deep friend pub food on wooden plates, in a very dark medieval themed restaurant.
Holiday homes are nice this time of year.
Edited by blambert on Monday 18th April 15:49
In case the OP hasn't done it before I should probably point out that all this talk of the A303 being fun is very much a relative term. With the exception of the roundabouts near Yeovil and a short twisty stretch just before Honiton it is not a fun road particularly. It is less boring than the motorway, but Route Napoleon it ain't.
A few more thoughts:
It won't get you there any quicker, but if the A303 is bad you can drop down onto the A30 around Salisbury and that's a much nicer - and usually much quieter - road. It is a very roundabout route, though, with plenty of 30mph villages, so I wouldn't bother unless the dual carriageway is seriously clogged.
The A356 into Crewkerne from the A303 is great fun if you get a clear run at it. Again, if you were after the scenic route, you could come off there, then pick up the road from Crewkerne to Axminster and the A35 from there.
A few more thoughts:
It won't get you there any quicker, but if the A303 is bad you can drop down onto the A30 around Salisbury and that's a much nicer - and usually much quieter - road. It is a very roundabout route, though, with plenty of 30mph villages, so I wouldn't bother unless the dual carriageway is seriously clogged.
The A356 into Crewkerne from the A303 is great fun if you get a clear run at it. Again, if you were after the scenic route, you could come off there, then pick up the road from Crewkerne to Axminster and the A35 from there.
I've had a number of quite enjoyable runs along the A303 in the past, but it has always been very late or very early.
We live in London, and have family and friends in Exeter, but got married in Falmouth so know the way well enough. The M5 can be terrible in the summer on a Saturday morning, and although I've never tried it on Easter weekend, I suspect it could be similar.
Polperro is a beautiful little fishing village in the South of Cornwall. The basic rule seems to be that beaches and surfing are better on the North side, with the scenery more rugged and sea clearer on the South side. There are some exceptions though.
Land's End is a bit of a tourist trap, and the fish is very good where it is caught fresh. Make the most of it. There are some very good local breweries too...
We live in London, and have family and friends in Exeter, but got married in Falmouth so know the way well enough. The M5 can be terrible in the summer on a Saturday morning, and although I've never tried it on Easter weekend, I suspect it could be similar.
Polperro is a beautiful little fishing village in the South of Cornwall. The basic rule seems to be that beaches and surfing are better on the North side, with the scenery more rugged and sea clearer on the South side. There are some exceptions though.
Land's End is a bit of a tourist trap, and the fish is very good where it is caught fresh. Make the most of it. There are some very good local breweries too...
There's been a huge outbreak of the plague in the whole of Devon and Cornwall, so I think all of you tourists should stay away from the South West for at least the next month. 
But seriously, if you're going to North Cornwall, you could always come off the M5 at J27, head to Barnstaple and then down the north Cornish coast along the A39. I'm not saying it's not going to be busy, might at least it'll be a change from the motorway.
But seriously, if you're going to North Cornwall, you could always come off the M5 at J27, head to Barnstaple and then down the north Cornish coast along the A39. I'm not saying it's not going to be busy, might at least it'll be a change from the motorway.
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