A507 from Baldock to Buntingford
A507 from Baldock to Buntingford
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itcaptainslow

Original Poster:

4,172 posts

152 months

Saturday 12th January 2013
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Best driving road in Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire *Cough*...

Discuss.

Edited by itcaptainslow on Sunday 13th January 22:58

LeoSayer

7,557 posts

260 months

Saturday 12th January 2013
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It's the closest thing to the Nurburgring that I know of.

vonhosen

40,595 posts

233 months

Saturday 12th January 2013
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No.

Neil O

76 posts

247 months

Sunday 13th January 2013
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But that route is in Herts!

itcaptainslow

Original Poster:

4,172 posts

152 months

Sunday 13th January 2013
quotequote all
Neil O said:
But that route is in Herts!
Bugger.

Went for a cheeky little blat down it tonight, it's a bit more interesting when it's icy, dark and you've got a Focus C-Max in front of you yo-yoing between 40 and 70, but still enjoyable.

I've heard an awful lot about the B656 near Kimbolton if someone can elaborate.

Jazzy Jefferson

728 posts

157 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Nice road. Not the best though.

FocusNick

24 posts

221 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
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Iain, we should get a few of the lad together - give the A507 a little sprinted drive?

itcaptainslow

Original Poster:

4,172 posts

152 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Ahhh, nick, you're alive. Yeah why not, I'll leave it to you to organise lol

FocusNick

24 posts

221 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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I'll get into it, there will be a few lads from Kent / Essex / North London that will no doubt be up for this.

markcoopers

689 posts

209 months

Sunday 20th January 2013
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itcaptainslow said:
Bugger.

Went for a cheeky little blat down it tonight, it's a bit more interesting when it's icy, dark and you've got a Focus C-Max in front of you yo-yoing between 40 and 70, but still enjoyable.

I've heard an awful lot about the B656 near Kimbolton if someone can elaborate.
B656 is outside hitchin to the south, not really connected to kimbolton. The two good roads around kimbolton you are mthinking of are the B660 north out of kimbolton, and the B645 that runs east west through it. Many of the other roads connecting these are good as well. These I can vouch for.

Edited by markcoopers on Tuesday 22 January 21:05

Neil O

76 posts

247 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
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The B660 from Bedford to Kimbolton is pretty good in places, although there have been a few lower speed limits introduced over the last few years.

djglover

424 posts

233 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2013
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Its OK early on a summer morning....

markcoopers

689 posts

209 months

Thursday 24th January 2013
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Or at midnight.....night time blatting in an open top car is a great experience

AstwickMotors

26 posts

182 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
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In the home counties area my favs are:

Buntingford road is a hoot.

Tadlow bends road B1042 - resurfaced in parts (from A1 langford bridge, right at dunton, towards Cambridge)

links well into the B1040 - up to hartford marina for a refreshing pint.

b645/ b660 are a dream. unmarked police bikes are rife though.

if feeling ambitious, 645 into the back of bedford, a6 up to kettering, the the market harborough to melton mowbray is sweet.

stay safe. keeping looking in mirrors for plod!


wst

3,503 posts

177 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
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AstwickMotors said:
Tadlow bends road B1042 - resurfaced in parts (from A1 langford bridge, right at dunton, towards Cambridge)
Don't forget the little hairpin with sweet sightlines and new tarmac, just east of Eyeworth on that road (so on your way to the Tadlow bends). I think you also get to see the slightly humourous (to the immature, ahem) sign for Wendy cum Shingay, or whatever it is.

The wooded road from Old Warden to Southill, while only a mile, is quite fun. Lots of deer on occasion though, so pays to be alert. It's never gritted so when it properly chuffs down with snow you can forget the nearby settlements and imagine you're Ari Vatanen.

Gypsy Lane, from either end to the other end, is also quite a good flowing road. Best at night, watch out for the fence. It's left at the 2nd Biggleswade roundabout (Heading north on the A1), 1st left at the house, and you're on it. Fairly well sighted straightenable corners but 'enclosed' enough to trick you into thinking you're going faster than you are...

The Baldock-Buntingford stretch of A507 is good but it's so heavily traffic dependant - some very good and safe overtaking spots though if you have enough of a right foot!

AstwickMotors

26 posts

182 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
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yea thats what i meant on the tadlow road. great on a bike/ car.

buntingford is better on a bike as overtaking is easier, but all dependent on traffic ( tractors, freight, and st drivers!!!!!)

Chris71

21,548 posts

258 months

Wednesday 13th March 2013
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Aren't most of the roads mentioned above in Cambridgeshire? smile

The twisty bits of the A507 are indeed highly entertaining and I'd say it was one of the best roads I know of in Hertfordshire. If you've got something small and chuckable (and a healthy regard for visibility) then the country lanes on the Herts/Essex border are arguably more fun - the B1004 from Much Hadham to Bishops Stortford, the B1057 north from Gt Dumnow, the B1051 from Stansted to Thaxted.

(Yes, I'm aware of the irony of promptly naming a load of roads that are predominantly in Essex, I'll be quiet now...)

Monsterlime

1,336 posts

182 months

Tuesday 9th April 2013
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Chris71 said:
Aren't most of the roads mentioned above in Cambridgeshire? smile

The twisty bits of the A507 are indeed highly entertaining and I'd say it was one of the best roads I know of in Hertfordshire. If you've got something small and chuckable (and a healthy regard for visibility) then the country lanes on the Herts/Essex border are arguably more fun - the B1004 from Much Hadham to Bishops Stortford, the B1057 north from Gt Dumnow, the B1051 from Stansted to Thaxted.

(Yes, I'm aware of the irony of promptly naming a load of roads that are predominantly in Essex, I'll be quiet now...)
I do usually drive the A507 when I'm going to Silverstone, as those are much more fun than the M1.

Since I live in Chelmsford, these are fairly near me. I'm quite partial to the B184 from Ongar to Leaden Roding, and the A1060 from Leaden Roding back to Chelmsford.

TimmyWimmyWoo

4,347 posts

197 months

Wednesday 10th April 2013
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I drive from Chelmsford to Milton Keynes every day to get to work, and most days I'll take the a507. Great fun with a few overtaking spots, even in a diesel Scirocco/Octavia. You do get the odd long line of non-overtakers behind a tractor though.

Different story on a bike though...

V8 Fettler

7,019 posts

148 months

Wednesday 3rd July 2013
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I've driven and ridden this road a few times, last at the weekend on my bike. First left hander out of Baldock is deceiving, a couple of obvious speed trap locations leading to (relative) trundling on the straight bits after making good progress on the bends. This creates an issue where it's possible to overtake, then make good progress on the bends but subsequently delay those overtaken who now wish to hand their licences to plod on the straight bits. Another road where lurking at the start of the interesting bit creates a buffer zone of clear road ahead? Also the long 40 restriction out of Baldock, ping paranoia.

Some sump interface marks observed about 20 yards past the bridge so flight is clearly possible