Land's End to Ness Point, Midsummers Evening 2021
Discussion
Okay folks, here's my write-up. Sorry if any of it doesn't make any sense, I'm still recovering from last night!
The route I'd chosen was the 'traditional' A30/A303/M3/M25 Dartford/A12 route, and I was in my 2004 Audi A6 Avant 1.9TDI PD130 with the 6-speed sport manual box.
Departing Land's End at 21:36 and making good time through the villages the first major hiccup was the A30 being closed between Three Burrows and Zelah (I think) I opted for a longer diversion, following the Jag XJ through Truro and leaving him to head up the B3275 to rejoin the A30 at Penhale.
At about 22:30 this is where I found the R32 that had left us for dust in Penzance turned up. Was I quick or him slow? Who knows - he wasn't hanging about for me. Two sets of roadworks just before eleven on the A30 just a few miles of each other northeast of Bodmin had dead-slow roadwork convoys in place, the average speed to get through those was about 20 km/h. Not long after, I passed the two Lotuses - I did not see them again.
The rain began as I approached Exeter at twenty to midnight but was nothing particularly heavy (or noticeable, with Rain-X on the windscreen I didn't realise it was raining until the street lighting at the M5 junction lit up the rain).
I reached the convoy of the two BMWs and the B-series as I got the tight right-hander approaching Marsh on the 303 and made my overtakes shortly after (they left twenty minutes early, or so I hear). These were the last cars I saw involved in the night until I got to Lowestoft.
Progress continued well moving past Stonehenge, around 1 am. Everybody who had descended on the site the morning before had long gone, I could just make out its silhouette in the night sky.
The M3 was clear until the closure between J5/6. I got lost on the diversion and this added four minutes. The M25 was clear apart from a few roadworks - the pace is always dialled back here to account for speed cameras. There had been an accident on the M20 and it was closed, including variable limits on the 25, I lost some time here. Dartford Tunnel was clear and approaching three in the morning I was on the A12.
Around three the first signs of the day breaking could be seen - a thin sliver of slightly lighter blue through a break in the cloud cover could be seen. I was tired, after having driven seven hours to get there on Monday afternoon and having had only a tiny amount of sleep before leaving again, the adrenaline rush from the end being in sight carried me through to the end.
The A12 north of the A14 was eerily quiet and good progress could be made. I could have sworn there used to be a couple of speed cameras on that route but none ever materialised. The Sat-nav was fully up-to-date before leaving and didn't warn of any cameras, so I assume they have been removed in the past six months or so?
I got to Lowestoft just after four and for the uninitiated, navigating the streets can be a bit tricky with live contraflow lanes. I arrived at Ness Point at 04:11, with only five (?) cars there nine minutes before me.
It looked like I was the slowest of the fast group, as nobody arrived for a good 20-30 mins after that. Until somebody says otherwise, I think I was the fastest diesel? It helped not having to stop for fuel!
Once home, I slept all day. I have work tomorrow, but this was honest to God some of the most fun I've had in years. my significant other isn't happy about it but I think I'll be doing it again and more like it!
The car performed exceptionally well all night sitting at a steady 70* most of the way up and handling like a dream both on and off the dual-carriageway.
Even with factory sport suspension it wafted along the notably undulating surfaces of the A12 from London with exceptional grace while being suprisingly pointed in the twisty stuff - even in spite of it being on original shocks and springs at 230k! The 245 wide Dunlop Sportmaxx tyres did their part too. The brakes were OE ATE brand discs and pads and while they got fairly toasty leaving Lands End and up to the end of the diversion, and again on the A12 into Lowestoft, they didn't waver one bit.
I'm utterly chuffed to bits.
I'll update with an economy figure once I go and fill up. The low fuel light (8 litres) came on on the way back home on a 70-litre tank.
Safe travels all!
*70 mph thanks to editing trickery
The route I'd chosen was the 'traditional' A30/A303/M3/M25 Dartford/A12 route, and I was in my 2004 Audi A6 Avant 1.9TDI PD130 with the 6-speed sport manual box.
Departing Land's End at 21:36 and making good time through the villages the first major hiccup was the A30 being closed between Three Burrows and Zelah (I think) I opted for a longer diversion, following the Jag XJ through Truro and leaving him to head up the B3275 to rejoin the A30 at Penhale.
At about 22:30 this is where I found the R32 that had left us for dust in Penzance turned up. Was I quick or him slow? Who knows - he wasn't hanging about for me. Two sets of roadworks just before eleven on the A30 just a few miles of each other northeast of Bodmin had dead-slow roadwork convoys in place, the average speed to get through those was about 20 km/h. Not long after, I passed the two Lotuses - I did not see them again.
The rain began as I approached Exeter at twenty to midnight but was nothing particularly heavy (or noticeable, with Rain-X on the windscreen I didn't realise it was raining until the street lighting at the M5 junction lit up the rain).
I reached the convoy of the two BMWs and the B-series as I got the tight right-hander approaching Marsh on the 303 and made my overtakes shortly after (they left twenty minutes early, or so I hear). These were the last cars I saw involved in the night until I got to Lowestoft.
Progress continued well moving past Stonehenge, around 1 am. Everybody who had descended on the site the morning before had long gone, I could just make out its silhouette in the night sky.
The M3 was clear until the closure between J5/6. I got lost on the diversion and this added four minutes. The M25 was clear apart from a few roadworks - the pace is always dialled back here to account for speed cameras. There had been an accident on the M20 and it was closed, including variable limits on the 25, I lost some time here. Dartford Tunnel was clear and approaching three in the morning I was on the A12.
Around three the first signs of the day breaking could be seen - a thin sliver of slightly lighter blue through a break in the cloud cover could be seen. I was tired, after having driven seven hours to get there on Monday afternoon and having had only a tiny amount of sleep before leaving again, the adrenaline rush from the end being in sight carried me through to the end.
The A12 north of the A14 was eerily quiet and good progress could be made. I could have sworn there used to be a couple of speed cameras on that route but none ever materialised. The Sat-nav was fully up-to-date before leaving and didn't warn of any cameras, so I assume they have been removed in the past six months or so?
I got to Lowestoft just after four and for the uninitiated, navigating the streets can be a bit tricky with live contraflow lanes. I arrived at Ness Point at 04:11, with only five (?) cars there nine minutes before me.
It looked like I was the slowest of the fast group, as nobody arrived for a good 20-30 mins after that. Until somebody says otherwise, I think I was the fastest diesel? It helped not having to stop for fuel!
Once home, I slept all day. I have work tomorrow, but this was honest to God some of the most fun I've had in years. my significant other isn't happy about it but I think I'll be doing it again and more like it!
The car performed exceptionally well all night sitting at a steady 70* most of the way up and handling like a dream both on and off the dual-carriageway.
Even with factory sport suspension it wafted along the notably undulating surfaces of the A12 from London with exceptional grace while being suprisingly pointed in the twisty stuff - even in spite of it being on original shocks and springs at 230k! The 245 wide Dunlop Sportmaxx tyres did their part too. The brakes were OE ATE brand discs and pads and while they got fairly toasty leaving Lands End and up to the end of the diversion, and again on the A12 into Lowestoft, they didn't waver one bit.
I'm utterly chuffed to bits.
I'll update with an economy figure once I go and fill up. The low fuel light (8 litres) came on on the way back home on a 70-litre tank.
Safe travels all!
*70 mph thanks to editing trickery
My account is more or less the same as the account above so I won’t repeat any details. Only thing different I did is I didn’t go through Truro, I followed the diversion and rejoined the A30 slightly further up the road.
Already planning next years and thinking of doing it in reverse on the shortest day
Already planning next years and thinking of doing it in reverse on the shortest day
65.78 litres to 556.4 miles, including 20 miles from the Shell to Land's End and the 70 or so miles to get back home after.
That works out at 38.45 mpg, or only a couple mpg worse than a commuting tank. Not bad considering I was going berry to the wall the whole night long.
That works out at 38.45 mpg, or only a couple mpg worse than a commuting tank. Not bad considering I was going berry to the wall the whole night long.
Edited by wilkyboy on Tuesday 22 June 21:54
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