West London to Matlock ?

[TJMurphy]

Hi all
Going away for a weekend in Derbyshire (somewhere near Matlock). Route planner on AA and Map24 reckon M4 / M25 / M1 and about 2 hrs 45 mins or so. But I'm in no particular rush and motorway is just so boring and like my daily commute. Any suggestions for a more interesting route? Doesn't need to be fast (wife in car!) but scenic / flowing would be nice.

Thanks

[Steve_T]

I don't have a map in front of me but, I'd take the A5 all the way up to Tamworth, then pick up the A51 to Lichfield. Watch out for Plod on the A5 in the 50 mph sections. Then I'd pickup the A515 just outside Lichfield and it will take you to Ashbourne and on to either Buxton or Bakewell if you want it. I can't recall how exactly to get to Matlock from there, but I'm sure someone on PH would know.

Cheers,

Steve

Hi all
Going away for a weekend in Derbyshire (somewhere near Matlock). Route planner on AA and Map24 reckon M4 / M25 / M1 and about 2 hrs 45 mins or so. But I'm in no particular rush and motorway is just so boring and like my daily commute. Any suggestions for a more interesting route? Doesn't need to be fast (wife in car!) but scenic / flowing would be nice.

Thanks

[mrsd]

How about M4, A419 to the outskirts of Cirencester, A429 through the Cotswolds (stopping off at Gaydon), A46 (Coventry ringroad, vile, but better than the M25 IMO), jcn 2 to jcn 3 M6, A444, A38 landing you at the West of Derby, ready for some winding roads up to Matlock. A slow, but not overly meandering, route, through some nice countryside with lots of opportunities to pull off into attractive Cotswolds villages or maybe Leamington for lunch.

I've plenty of suggestions for good driving in Derbys. if you don't know the Matlock area ?

>> Edited by mrsd on Tuesday 1st April 09:13

[TJMurphy]

mrsd said:
I've plenty of suggestions for good driving in Derbys. if you don't know the Matlock area ?

>> Edited by mrsd on Tuesday 1st April 09:13

Thanks (and to Steve too) - this weekend is a get together with 8 adults and 7 children - all under the age of 6 and none of them mine! Probably won't be allowed out but in case I can escape for a couple of hours a couple of suggestions would be great!

I'm going to look up the route suggestions tonight and work out which one I prefer.

[mrsd]

Right, Over to Sheffield via Chesterfield and the A61 (dull) then Snake Pass, A57 to Glossop, truly fantastic, back via Knutsford (pausing to drool at the display in Ron Stratton's) and the Cat and Fiddle Moor (the Macclesfield to Buxton road-don't know the number) a favourite of bikers. That should take care of a good afternoon nicely.

When you're on your way up to Matlock try A6 out of Derby, turn left in Duffield (1 1/2 miles from a38/a6 roundabout) signed Wirksworth. Starts off up an unexciting residential road, but soon improves Straight over at the crossroads by the pub and on into Wirksworth, or turn left and follow the signs to Carsington where the dam road is one of the longest, smoothest, least policed, sections of roads you'll find and then into Wirksworth.
From Wirksworth its over the top of the hill and down into Cromford, then left on the A6 and into Matlock Bath, where,on any nice Sunday, you'll see a cracking array of 'bikes.

If you go from Matlock towards Chesterfield on the A632 the road to the left at the top of the huge hill takes you into little policed twisties, follow signs for Beeley (caution V tight road) and then right into the Chatsworth estate at the bottom of the hill by the big pub. Left at the roundabout after you've been through Chatsworth Park (beware numpties) and continue along this road until you reach Outside in Calver. Right at the lights here for Hathersage. There's another thread about the roads above H'sage, sufficed to say

[TJMurphy]

Just wanted to say Thanks again MrsD. Took your route to Matlock through the Cotswolds, very pleasant (too many cameras but the Geodesy picked them all up). Escaped on Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours and did the Snake Pass route and Glossop - Buxton, luverly driving (apart from everyone bar the bikes going too slow).
And my, what a lot of bikes - is it always like that or was there some meet going on? As well as lots on the road there must have been around 100 parked up in one of the towns (can't remember which one, I'm hopeless at place names).

[WRX]

Matlock Bath and Matlock to a lesser degree are always like that on a sunday.In the hight of summer the place is crammed with bikes.This has been the case for as long as i can remember and is known about in biker circles all over the country.On quite a few occasions there have been news reporters and camara crews doing a article on them.I live about 30-mins away so quite often find the good lady and myself up there.As for the reason or reasons that started the bike thing off,i'm afraid i can't help you.