Driving to Huddersfield - recommended route?

[Funk]

I have to drive up to Huddersfield (near to Huddersfield New College) from Sussex in a couple of Saturdays' time. Google wants to take me up the M1 past Wakefield and onto the M62 to the southwest of Leeds. I have to do there and back same day (about 10 hours of driving) so I'm keen to avoid areas which might get snarled up and you can't beat local knowledge...

[andburg]

saturdays shouldn't be too bad.

Other options...
off the M1 at J35a and head up the A629, nice fairly open road with limited traffic and you can stop at yummy yorkshire for food/drink
off the m1 at J38 and go past yorkshire sculpture park.

Neither of these are great if you need to be top side of huddersfield, I' not too local so find skirting round Huddersfield a pain.

[RicksAlfas]

I would aim for M1 - M62 > J24.

[witko999]

I'd come off at M1 J38 personally, being unlucky enough to live in Huddersfield. Although if Google maps says another way is faster then I'd be inclined to trust it on a Saturday.
Either way, Kirklees council is obsessed with pointless traffic lights so once you get into the town you won't be going anywhere quickly.

[DaveyBoyWonder]

If you need to be north Huddersfield I'd definitely stick on the M1 and M62 and then off at junction 25 or 24.

I live in south Halifax and the sat nav, without fail, tells me to come off at the Sculpture Park turning when I'm coming up the M1 regardless of the time of day and I can pretty much guarantee that a couple of minutes drop off my arrival time if I ignore it and carry on up the M1.

Coming up the A629 or via the Sculpture Park via Flockton is a tortuous lesson in abiding by varying 30/40 limits and speed cameras and thats before you hit Huddersfield itself which is a hive of more speed cameras and more traffic lights you can shake a stick at.

[Funk]

Thanks all, it's the Oakes area (so to the west) so probably M1 > M62 and off J24 or 23 as RicksAlfas suggests - looks like the most straightforward if traffic plays ball.

I'm aware the M1 is now infested with cameras so I'll be taking it fairly easy! Thanks for the recommendations.

[Killer2005]

Perhaps late to the show, but if the M62 is screwed (it often is) you could come off the M1 at junction 39 and go through Flockton/Lepton around Huddersfield then over that side of town.

[Funk]

Cheers, it was yesterday I went; the M62 was indeed screwed so we trusted the Google Gods and went cross-country past the Sculpture Park. up through Flockton, Houses Hill and Brackenhall. Made reasonable time. The journey back was fine (M62 > M1) although the M1 was crap once we got south of Leicester again. Left at 8am, made it home at 8pm in the end!

[mercedeslimos]

I'm originally from Oakes ironically. Haven't driven there in a few years, however. Last time I did it, it was from Cardiff and ended up M1 past Doncaster, then M62 and off at the junction at the top of New Hey Road.

[Phil Dicky]

I literally live the next village down from Flockton....too late to the party to offer advice

[andburg]

Funk said:

Cheers, it was yesterday I went; the M62 was indeed screwed

standard

[DaveyBoyWonder]

Funk said:

Thanks all, it's the Oakes area (so to the west) so probably M1 > M62 and off J24 or 23 as RicksAlfas suggests - looks like the most straightforward if traffic plays ball.

Lucky you didn't try and get off at 23 as you can't leave at 23 going westbound and can't get on heading eastbound either. A weird junction!