Essex to Manchester... Interesting roads?

[Andyoz]

Hi,

I am taking my 996 GT3 from the seller in Essex to Sports & Classic in Macclesfield next week.

Leaving Weeley about 9:30am on Tuesday so hopefully I have a decent window without peak hour traffic.

I've got about 6 hours to do the trip. What's some interesting roads to avoid to humdrum direct route shown below?

Edited by Andyoz on Sunday 15th May 10:31

[seyre1972]

How about going over snake pass (A57) ?

M25, M11, A1M, Turn off onto A57 - need to get around Sheffield, but then a beautiful driving road.

[Prolex-UK]

seyre1972 said:

How about going over snake pass (A57) ?

M25, M11, A1M, Turn off onto A57 - need to get around Sheffield, but then a beautiful driving road.

Good call maybe slight detour at glossop and try woodhead pass

[Phil Dicky]

seyre1972 said:

How about going over snake pass (A57) ?

M25, M11, A1M, Turn off onto A57 - need to get around Sheffield, but then a beautiful driving road.

Not worth going further north to drive the A57 IMHO.
I'd be off at Nottingham, Matlock, Bakewell Buxton and into Macclesfield.

Edited by Phil Dicky on Sunday 15th May 10:35

[Andyoz]

seyre1972 said:

How about going over snake pass (A57) ?

M25, M11, A1M, Turn off onto A57 - need to get around Sheffield, but then a beautiful driving road.

Hi, just checking the A57 there and only just realised how south of Manchester Sports & Classic is (they're near Macclesfield).

A57 looks great but would mean getting a bit too far north and I can only assume I'll be tight for time at end of my trip as I'm usually running late

[FiF]

Once you hit the A1 head north, turn off somewhere round Stamford, head across generally direction Melton Mowbray to get to M1 at a point so you can then head off along A50 until you can turn off north to Ashbourne and then numerous options to cross Peak District.

[Emeye]

Head to Buxton - the Cat and Fiddle from there to Macclesfield used to be awesome until it was ruined by average speed camera, but there are other roads leading to it that are great.

Head from Nottingham across country to Macclesfield and avoid the main route and you should find some decent roads not ruined by cameras.

There is a village called Longnor south of Buxton - go via there and it should take you on some decent routes.

[RammyMP]

Prolex-UK said:

seyre1972 said:

How about going over snake pass (A57) ?

M25, M11, A1M, Turn off onto A57 - need to get around Sheffield, but then a beautiful driving road.

Good call maybe slight detour at glossop and try woodhead pass

I’m on the Snake Pass a couple of times a week at the moment and it’s really quiet because they’ve banned lorries due to the land slides. I’d recommend it but there’s roadworks around Mottram which are a pain in the arse. Coming over Woodhead you can’t avoid them but from the snake you can take a diversion through Broadbottom.

[Andyoz]

OK, lots to take in. I live in Nth Ireland and don't automatically know alot of the places being mentioned.

It looks like the best of the driving might be the second half of my trip and not the first half. So for the first half I'm best to stick to the A roads?

This first section looks a bit boring and was thinking of taking back roads from Colchester to Cambridge but could just end up wasting time and putting me under pressure at end of trip. Cars being dropped at Sports & Classics and I'm on 7:30pm flight from Manchester airport.

Edited by Andyoz on Sunday 15th May 11:26

[nebpor]

Andy, I’ve got a good driver based near Mike who could take you up to the airport - he’s picked and dropped me off at sport and Classic on numerous occasions so at least knows the area well ;-)

Remember Manchester airport is a crapshow just now so don’t squeeze that time you need at the airport!

Let me know if you want his number

[Andyoz]

nebpor said:

Andy, I’ve got a good driver based near Mike who could take you up to the airport - he’s picked and dropped me off at sport and Classic on numerous occasions so at least knows the area well ;-)

Remember Manchester airport is a crapshow just now so don’t squeeze that time you need at the airport!

Let me know if you want his number

Hi, I have pm'd you

[nebpor]

Got it!

[RSTurboPaul]

Colchester to Cambridge?

- A1124 from the A12 Eight Ash Green junction to Sible Hedingham (the 30mph limit through the north part of Chapel is somewhat painful as it has always felt like a 40mph road, but the rest is pretty reasonable)

- A1017 from Sible Hedingham to the Haverhill bypass

- A1307 from Haverhill to the A11 junction

- A11 southbound onto the A505 westbound, to the M11 Duxford junction

Then...

Option A - the quick route -

- take the M11 at that junction and head up to the A14, continuing onto the A1 (ignore the average speed camera sign where the A14 starts, they are fixed-point gantry cameras only with the boxes stuck out on the left of the gantries) then find somewhere interesting to turn left off the A1 when oop north.

Option B - the village-y / non Motorway/A14 route -

- go round the M11 junction, come back on yourself and turn left into Hill Farm Road,
- straight on until Shelford Road then turn left.
- Follow to Little Shelford, turn right towards Great Shelford.
- At Great Shelford onto the A1301 towards Trumpington.
- Turn right at the A1309 junction then immediately left towards Grantchester.
- Turn left in Granchester, towards Coton.
- At the A603 / M11 roundabout, go straight over and through Coton.
- At the A1303 Madingley Road junction turn left / westbound and join the A428.
- Turn right at the roundabout with the A1198, northbound towards Papworth Everard.
- Go round the bypass and continue to the A14.
- Turn left onto the A14, watch out for the speed camera on the next gantry IIRC, and carry on to join the A1, then find somewhere interesting to turn left off the A1 when oop north.


Probably an hour to Cambridge from Colchester on a clear-ish run, I reckon? (maybe check a route finder app for that, lol) and there are reasonable overtaking opportunities at certain points because the road is fairly fast/sweeping for a lot of it once past Sible.

Edited by RSTurboPaul on Tuesday 17th May 22:27

[nebpor]

I see you made it to Sport and Classic Andy - did you get a cab?? Car looks gorgeous!!

[Andyoz]

I ended up running tight for time at the end of the run but managed Derby - Buxton - Cat n Fiddle then onto Macclesfield.

[Emeye]

I worked at the Macclesfield end of the Cat and Fiddle almost 25 years ago.- during that time I had a Citroen AX Forte (GTi without the bodykit) and then a Fiesta 1.4 S - both lower powered, light, fantastic handling warm hatches. I regularly went the long way home via Buxton just to enjoy the pre-speed camera Cat and Fiddle.

One day my older, BMW 328i Sport owning colleague and I were dragged into the 70 year old Managing Director's office.

"HOW DARE YOU OVERTAKE ME ON MY WAY HOME!!!"

I had been following the BMW, trying to keep up when we had to despatch a queue of 5 cars being held up at 45mph by our boss.

Happy days.