Best driving roads
Discussion
Who would like to suggest candidates for the best driving roads in Devon/Cornwall/Somerset.
Being rural counties there are obviously a good number of twisties, but not all are good driving roads. Many are too narrow and poorly surfaced. Other are too busy in the tourist season.
Taking these factors into consideration, where is ideal for a grin inducing weekend blat?!
Being rural counties there are obviously a good number of twisties, but not all are good driving roads. Many are too narrow and poorly surfaced. Other are too busy in the tourist season.
Taking these factors into consideration, where is ideal for a grin inducing weekend blat?!
the A377 from exeter to crediton is quite a blast, then the A3072 do a bit of the A386 before re joining the A3072 all the way to Bude! its a great road and has the bonus of ending up somewhere really nice too!
there are also loads of great roads around the south of Bristol, particularly the roads around Chew Valley lake which are good fun. the roads around Sedgmoor are great too, they run parallel to the drainage ditches and have a good few yumps on them. take it easy though as you can see a few scratches in the road which we presumed were other drivers sumps. best bet is to go and explore the area one evening.....
there are also loads of great roads around the south of Bristol, particularly the roads around Chew Valley lake which are good fun. the roads around Sedgmoor are great too, they run parallel to the drainage ditches and have a good few yumps on them. take it easy though as you can see a few scratches in the road which we presumed were other drivers sumps. best bet is to go and explore the area one evening.....
Oi Dorset is in the sowf west 
B3157 , top bikeing road , now ruined with a 50 limit and doddering old git looking out to sea
,
At night though it can still be a blast .
The B3081 , for zigzag hill alone but some top roadage all the way to sixpenny handley
A352 nice twisties out towards cerne abbas and beyond .
A3066 between Beaminster and Bridport , Because i know it like the back of my hand and quite a few superbikes have been had by the kwack along there
B3164 and B3165 , drive these everytime i go to Exeter , nice way to start the day , A good Hoon down some twisty B roads
B3157 , top bikeing road , now ruined with a 50 limit and doddering old git looking out to sea
, At night though it can still be a blast .
The B3081 , for zigzag hill alone but some top roadage all the way to sixpenny handley
A352 nice twisties out towards cerne abbas and beyond .
A3066 between Beaminster and Bridport , Because i know it like the back of my hand and quite a few superbikes have been had by the kwack along there
B3164 and B3165 , drive these everytime i go to Exeter , nice way to start the day , A good Hoon down some twisty B roads
Hello, I seem to be the only Cornish representative here.
B3266 from Camelford to Bodmin is outstanding, a mixture of challenging fat and slow bends with some very - and I mean very, fast straights. Surface is good too as is road width. Its possibly the best SW road I have driven in my Cerbera.
Same applies to A395 from Kennards House Junction on the A30 to the A39 near Camelford
A3072 Bude to Hatherleigh is pretty decent too notwithstanding Holiday traffic at times.
John
B3266 from Camelford to Bodmin is outstanding, a mixture of challenging fat and slow bends with some very - and I mean very, fast straights. Surface is good too as is road width. Its possibly the best SW road I have driven in my Cerbera.
Same applies to A395 from Kennards House Junction on the A30 to the A39 near Camelford
A3072 Bude to Hatherleigh is pretty decent too notwithstanding Holiday traffic at times.
John
i used to leave my house in torpoint and drive up towards whitsand bay, stop at freathy cliff and then circle round back to torpoint, lovely road, cant remeber the name of it though, it was mostly called... the whitsand coastal road.
A38 from exeter to plym was also cool, you know you have a good car when you can do the hill in 5th without losing speed
A38 from exeter to plym was also cool, you know you have a good car when you can do the hill in 5th without losing speed
mxdi said:
A38 from exeter to plym was also cool, you know you have a good car when you can do the hill in 5th without losing speed
Some nice twisties on that road further west, between Bodmin and Liskeard. The single carriageway sections of the A30 can be fun, if you watch out for the speed camera just west of the low railway bridge.. Just picked up my first Tiv this weekend and took it for a blast up through Cheddar Gorge, over the Mendips and back down through Burrington Coombe - awesome route. 
The long sweeping Mendip roads are just fantastic - plenty of overtaking spots as well so no Sunday drivers to bother about. Go on have a go!
The long sweeping Mendip roads are just fantastic - plenty of overtaking spots as well so no Sunday drivers to bother about. Go on have a go!
Sethlj said:
Just picked up my first Tiv this weekend and took it for a blast up through Cheddar Gorge, over the Mendips and back down through Burrington Coombe - awesome route.
The long sweeping Mendip roads are just fantastic - plenty of overtaking spots as well so no Sunday drivers to bother about. Go on have a go!
I heard a Tiv in Cheddar Gorge yesterday PM. Pulling away from Black Rock (layby at top of the rocky bit). Was it you ?
I was walking around the rim of the Gorge.
Agree about the Mendip roads, though in Summer the Gorge clogs up with tourists.
Just found this, so apologies for the late arrival. Got quite homesick reading all this. Spent my formative driving years in the Chew Valley area, but have driven just about every road in the Avon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire area (used to be a courier) as well as much of Devon and Cornwall.
First instance of going rather quick was doing a ton DOWN Limeburn Hill (top end, with view to lake), followed by a ton UP the same stretch (breathed-on Mk2 Escort). Am much more responsible now. Honest, guv. Drove around the area for the first time in a couple years not so long back - can't believe how the road past Chew Lake has been ruined - too many signs, too much nannying.
Used to drive the roads over the top of the Mendips to get from Bath to WSM (sins, sins, sins...) - great fun at 6am in the summer - straight into the sun!!! But Burrington Coombe was always empty...
First instance of going rather quick was doing a ton DOWN Limeburn Hill (top end, with view to lake), followed by a ton UP the same stretch (breathed-on Mk2 Escort). Am much more responsible now. Honest, guv. Drove around the area for the first time in a couple years not so long back - can't believe how the road past Chew Lake has been ruined - too many signs, too much nannying.
Used to drive the roads over the top of the Mendips to get from Bath to WSM (sins, sins, sins...) - great fun at 6am in the summer - straight into the sun!!! But Burrington Coombe was always empty...
Another good one in somerset: head up the A38 north towards bristol. After a good blast up Redhill you'll get to the airport, once your past the airport take the next road right. Once your across the cattle grid you get a nice country blast. Turn right at the end of that road in the village it comes out in, then left at the roundabout. You'll then eventually end up in hartcliffe. Turn around at the first mini roundabout you come to and do it all again the other way. The steep twisty hill out of bristol is awesome when going up!
flooritforever said:
Another good one in somerset: head up the A38 north towards bristol. After a good blast up Redhill you'll get to the airport, once your past the airport take the next road right. Once your across the cattle grid you get a nice country blast. Turn right at the end of that road in the village it comes out in, then left at the roundabout. You'll then eventually end up in hartcliffe. Turn around at the first mini roundabout you come to and do it all again the other way. The steep twisty hill out of bristol is awesome when going up!
Yep - down through Felton and Winford - Limeburn Hill is the second hill you climb after the roundabout you mention, before dropping down into Hartcliffe. That r/b masks what used to be a v fast, but somewhat dangerous straight - ton up was easy, but the x-roads meant it was a bit of Russian Roulette.
flooritforever said:
Another good one in somerset: head up the A38 north towards bristol. After a good blast up Redhill you'll get to the airport
And get clobbered by the Talivan that parks in the layby at the top just before it goes back into 1 lane
Although I've not seen it recently 
KITT said:
Another good one in somerset: head up the A38 north towards bristol. After a good blast up Redhill you'll get to the airport
And get clobbered by the Talivan that parks in the layby at the top just before it goes back into 1 lane
They don't tend to be out before 8 in the morning I've noticed.
The biggest problems I find at that time are school buses and Nissan Micra's.
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