Anyone travel through Knaresborough?

[Ted2]

I've got a regular job on to the retail park at Hookstone Chase. The traffic into Harrogate on the 661 up to Woodlands lights takes the piss at all hours of the day, as does the traffic on Hookstone Chase itself when leaving. I am restricted to using either Hookstone Chase or the northern end of Forest Lane to the 59 due to weight limits. I'm thoroughly pissed off with it taking 45 mins to get from the A1 J47 to the retail park during the afternoon and even more pissed off with it taking sometimes over an hour to do the return, considering that it's about 4 miles in total. Does the traffic flow better through Knaresborough?

It's fair to say that Harrogate is my second most hated place after York for what appear to be deliberate delays with traffic light timing to ensure maximum gridlock at all hours of the day.

[DoctorX]

It tends to be busy at peak times, especially around the traffic lights at Bond end. If the Calcutt turning isn’t an option, can’t really see any other viable routes. I’d just use the traffic setting on Google maps and see which of your options is least bad.

[Wacky Racer]

Knaresborough's not too bad, just a couple of sets of lights to contend with, Harrogates's usually a friggin' nightmare...

[Duke147]

Yes - I have the dubious pleasure of living there. For 7 years I commuted from the Boroughbridge side of Knaresborough to the centre of Harrogate. I can truthfully say that it is not too far different in terms of time to my current commute to Leeds. It could easily take half an hour to 40 minutes to travel the 4 short miles from Harrogate to Knaresborough and park up.

[Ted2]

So the general consensus is that the 59 through Knaresborough and Forest Lane (N) will be quicker than Hookstone Chase, Woodland lights and the 661 route?

[dannyDC2]

Lived in Harrogate for a year now and work near Hookstone. Traffic is constantly gash and I can't find any common patterns.

Going anywhere on a weekend is a joke!

Knaresbrough traffic isn't too bad, but if you get caught on the lines at Starbeck you can be waiting up to 20 minutes.

[dannyDC2]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Lol, not even Waze can help with Harrogate. For curiosity I'll give it another run on the way home.

[anonymous-user]

What kind of vehicle do you commute in to find the weight limit an issue? Are you a truck driver?

I grew up at the top of Hookstone Chase and until last year we still had a house there. The traffic from the ring road and into Harrogate is pretty awful, unfortunately.

[TooLateForAName]

I drop my kids off at St John Fisher a couple of days a week.
I come in through knaresborough, B6163 (down the steep hill) then forest moor road.

People seem to come in the other way on forest moor road (from the A1/A658).
It flows well at the times I come in - but it is very time dependent. Too many schools all along there. The primary school on hookstone chase is bad as it gets towards 9.

I'd certainly never use starbeck or the A661 past sainsbury.

[Biggriff]

Down Bogs Lane and up through the back road and pop out on the Stray. Easy.

[DoctorX]

Biggriff said:

Down Bogs Lane and up through the back road and pop out on the Stray. Easy.

Not so easy in an artic though

[guru_1071]

depending on your vehicle, the sly route is to go down the Harrogate bypass, turn off at the Panal turnoff and head towards Rudding park

this road then brings you out on Wetherby road opposite the BMW mini dealer, so you can then shoot across the road and onto Forest lane.

there is a weight limit on it and you certainly wouldn't get an artic down it, but busses etc go on it.

in a morning there is normally only a couple of cars waiting to get out, so its quite a quick route

Harrogate is an ace place to live, once you have sorted all the crafty back road routes out!

[Mr Whippy]

Interesting thread.

Basically Harrogate is screwed.

Any chance of a Northern by-pass is in the region on 20yrs away if it happens at all.

Knaresborough is just as bad as your current route once you start heading up through Starbeck.


Funnily, back on the actual Tour De France year they 'reworked' that Hookstone/Wetherby road set of lights in a total package costing £50 mil or so to alleviate Harrogate congestion.

I couldn't see any change except it getting worse.

The town is a joke given the supposed affluence.

How it can remain competitive is beyond me.