Best way to "Hoon" to Cornwall.

[Flanders.]

I'm heading for my Holiday down in Cornwall and I'm meeting my mates down there, so i'll be driving down alone. I'm starting from Biggleswade and I'm just wondering is there Detours I should take on the way down? I'm thinking maybe taking a little look in Dartmour, is there any good roads in it?

[Menguin]

A slight detour maybe, but a fantastic road with some great corners, mostly very little traffic too (more likely to meet some sheep!)

Linky

Or Alternatively

It depends how long you want to take, there are some lovely roads around there!

[Flanders.]

Thanks, I think I'll deffiantly have to go along the B312 .

[Allyc85]

Another shout for the B3212 which is one of my favourite roads in the area. So much fun when its quiet first thing in the morning

[Flanders.]

Does it get busy in the day by any chance? By the time I've gotten down there from here, it will be knocking one in the afternoon.

[tenohfive]

Ooooh, I'm doing a very similar trip next week - from the M1 down to Devon. B3212 looks fantastic.

[Menguin]

What day will it be? If Friday it may be slightly busy, but nothing a bit of overtaking won't help!

[tenohfive]

I'll be going on a Monday morning, not decided yet whether to go early and beat the traffic (then grab breakfast somewhere) or go mid morning and avoid the worst of the traffic.

Any local opinions? If early, can anyone recommend somewhere that does a decent breakfast near Bideford?

(and hope the OP doesn't mind me piggy backing on his thread )

[identti]

I went down to Polzeath in May, and I took this fantastic route on the recommendation of a PHer. It takes in exmoor which was stunning at 6am, and shouldn't get that busy along most of the route.

http://tinyurl.com/n57pky


Pics:

[Menguin]

As someone who lived in Tiverton for 10+ years I can concur - those are some amazing driving roads.

One hell of a detour though - if you have to tell the wife/gf let them know it is the scenic route

How did you find the hills around Lynton/Lynmouth?

Edited by Menguin on Friday 10th July 22:21

[Flanders.]

tenohfive said:

Ooooh, I'm doing a very similar trip next week - from the M1 down to Devon. B3212 looks fantastic.

Ahh I'm heading off at the A421, the M25 at 8 am on a Monday morning isn't somewhere I want to be . After looking at those pic's I can't wait to take a drive down there. I'm hoping Overtaking is easy on that road?

[Allyc85]

Its not easy if im honest and you have to take your chances, still worth doing though

[tenohfive]

I'm planning on doing an early morning run - get past the M25 before the traffic starts, hopefully be off the M25 by 0630-0645.

That Exmoor drive looks stunning!

[Chris71]

Slightly off topic, but is the consensus that Exmoor beats Dartmoor for driving? Out of season and with due care for wandering sheep and ponies Dartmoor can certainly be good, but you don't often hear people talking about it.

Hmm. I miss Devon - anyone care to swap it for London?

[Menguin]

Chris71 said:

Slightly off topic, but is the consensus that Exmoor beats Dartmoor for driving? Out of season and with due care for wandering sheep and ponies Dartmoor can certainly be good, but you don't often hear people talking about it.

Hmm. I miss Devon - anyone care to swap it for London?

Exmoor is quieter in my experience, you can't really go anywhere through Exmoor so less through traffic, more hoonage potential.

I agree though, why did I move to London from Devon...?

[Flanders.]

Menguin said:

Chris71 said:

Slightly off topic, but is the consensus that Exmoor beats Dartmoor for driving? Out of season and with due care for wandering sheep and ponies Dartmoor can certainly be good, but you don't often hear people talking about it.

Hmm. I miss Devon - anyone care to swap it for London?

Exmoor is quieter in my experience, you can't really go anywhere through Exmoor so less through traffic, more hoonage potential.

I agree though, why did I move to London from Devon...?

How busy does Dartmore get? I bet it's full of people doing 30 MPH in a NSL aswell isn't it? If so it just makes overtaking easier .

[Chris71]

Flanders. said:

Menguin said:

Chris71 said:

Slightly off topic, but is the consensus that Exmoor beats Dartmoor for driving? Out of season and with due care for wandering sheep and ponies Dartmoor can certainly be good, but you don't often hear people talking about it.

Hmm. I miss Devon - anyone care to swap it for London?

Exmoor is quieter in my experience, you can't really go anywhere through Exmoor so less through traffic, more hoonage potential.

I agree though, why did I move to London from Devon...?

How busy does Dartmore get? I bet it's full of people doing 30 MPH in a NSL aswell isn't it? If so it just makes overtaking easier .

Depends when you go. Outside of tourist season you can cover quite long distances on the main roads without seeing anyone - March sort of time is great. Don't think I've ever been up there during the August bank holiday or anything.

[Allyc85]

Flanders. said:

How busy does Dartmore get? I bet it's full of people doing 30 MPH in a NSL aswell isn't it? If so it just makes overtaking easier .

Once you get onto the park its self it is a blanket 40mph limit, though it can be flexed when you can see far enough ahead. Just be very careful of the animals wondering on the road

[Flanders.]

Allyc85 said:

Flanders. said:

How busy does Dartmore get? I bet it's full of people doing 30 MPH in a NSL aswell isn't it? If so it just makes overtaking easier .

Once you get onto the park its self it is a blanket 40mph limit, though it can be flexed when you can see far enough ahead. Just be very careful of the animals wondering on the road

I've already hit a deer this year, I don't want to hit another . I can't decide to go through Exmoor and add another 3 hours to my journey or, head through Dartmoor and only add an hour to my overall Journey.

[Chris71]

Allyc85 said:

40mph limit... it can be flexed when you can see far enough ahead

Reminds me of a story my dad told me. He was driving on the road that goes past Princetown, which has some very characteristic crests on it at more or less equal intervals. He was in a Morris Minor going about as quickly as it could when an Aston Martin shooting brake overtook him just after one of the crests. By the time he reached the next crest the Aston was two humps ahead. It occured to him that equated to nearly 140mph...

I hasten to add this was a very long time ago (well before the 40mph limit) and I don't condone that in any way, but I think it's a fantastic image; windswept moor, epic road stretching off towards the horizon and this oddball Aston estate roaring off into the distance.