Fun roads around Leicester

[Baffled Spoon]

I have recently moved to Leicester and driving there is a pain, so I need some good country roads nearby to go for a blast. So far, I have only found the B6047 which is smooth and flowing but has too many villages and a fair bit of traffic along the way.

Can anyone recommend any other good nearby drives?

Cheers, Spoon.

[CommanderJameson]

Get yourself out to the forest roads around Loughborough.

This sort of area (Google Maps link)

[Conian]

any road that leaves leicester is a good road surely?

[Mostro]

I've driven the A607 from Melton to the A1 before. Decent trip at a quiet time.

[Baffled Spoon]

CommanderJameson said:

Get yourself out to the forest roads around Loughborough.

This sort of area (Google Maps link)

Mostro said:

I've driven the A607 from Melton to the A1 before. Decent trip at a quiet time.

Thanks for the replies chaps, if the weather is good tommorow I'll go and check out some of these roads

[Baffled Spoon]

Conian said:

any road that leaves leicester is a good road surely?

You're not far wrong.

[minivanman]

The area between the 6047 and the eyebrook reservoir is fantastic. A favourite of mine is the road that comes into the back of hallaton from the A47 - the last mile or two before the village is like a rollercoaster.

[Longers]

I live in Uppingham and yes, there are some great roads around here - e.g. the road along the south shore of Rutland water and as mentioned above the roads to Melton are Best done early at on a weekend morning to avoid the traffic

dom180 said:

How about the Uppingham to Corby road - great if you can bag a traffic free run.

This is actually better going the other way, i.e. uphill. Get to the traffic lights over the narrow bridge at Caldecott, pull over on the Uppingham side by the pub and wait for them to change. Just as they change again and cars start coming from the Corby side go for it! This will give you a clear bit of road for a couple of miles. Just watch out for the speed bumps as you enter Uppingham. Often do this up and down a couple of times when I've got a spare 20mins or so for a blat

[dom180]

The B664 Mkt Harborough to Uppingham is fairly good, particularly the section between Medbourne and Uppingham.

That road from the A47 to Hallaton down Moor-Hill is, as mentioned a rollercoaster - I remember being in a mates parents car when he failed to negotiate a corner on that road.... Wayne...

[lankybob]

I am the same as OP. Just moved to Leicester and as a city it is boring as hell and also a nightmare to drive in.
Any more recommendations?

I was looking at Google maps to get some ideas and I am staggered to see how many old airfields there are around Rutland!

[TopGear7]

Some excellent roads around Rutland and the surrounding areas.

Also if you're near Oadby there's some nice country roads near the airport.

[Red Devil]

Cotes - Six Hills - Little Belvoir (B676 Cotes to Junction with A6006, unclassified thereafter)
Little Belvoir - Melton Mowbray (A606)
Melton Mowbray - Colsterworth (B676)

If you want to venture a liitle further
Colsterworth - Ancaster - Cranwell (B6403)

[MC Bodge]

Of all the places that I have lived/worked, Leicester has to rank bottom.

[lankybob]

Generally or for driving?
I'm not its biggest fan but I'm sure there are worse places.

[GSP]

Best route ever...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Welby+Ln&d...

You can do this in a little over 1 hour on a quite sunday morning in the summer at 5am

[pwrc]

GSP said:

Best route ever...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Welby+Ln&d...

You can do this in a little over 1 hour on a quite sunday morning in the summer at 5am

good route that, there are some cracking little roads around stamford though, i'd give the A6121 toft-stamford a miss completely.

another vote for melton-a1 or melton-bourne, good run without traffic

[matthias73]

all the areas behind wigston up to wistow are pretty nice, assuming there is no traffic. Me and my other young friends try to get close to the speed limits in our rubbish cars there and enjoy it a lot. (last bit was a joke, i'm not driving a 1.1 diesel...

[Steffan]

Wigston to Wistow is good, the route round Melton/Bourne etc suggested as a round trip is superb but for me the B road from Market Harborough to Melton Mowbray is quite outstanding as a drive.

I believe there are cameras about nowadays but still a wonderful drive.

Real cross country, safe, winding, up hill, down dale, classic English countryside at its best.

Pity Leicester is so ropey but what big industrial city is fun nowadays?

[Longers]

Steffan said:

...but for me the B road from Market Harborough to Melton Mowbray is quite outstanding as a drive.

Agree about it being a great road but it's hard to fully enjoy it now it's restricted to 50mph

[MC Bodge]

lankybob said:

Generally or for driving?
I'm not its biggest fan but I'm sure there are worse places.

It was blandly dull, the people I encountered were much less outwardly friendly than I've experienced in other places (-having said that, the E Midlands in general, outside of Nottingham, doesn't really have much of a regional identity) and it was too far from the mountains for my liking.

There was some nice, rolling countryside about, but I prefer ruggedness.

ps. I'm sure that a lot of people are friendly in the Leicester area

Edited by MC Bodge on Sunday 23 October 22:25