Mid Wales to Scotch Corner via Peak District and Dales

[fastedd]

I wonder if any locals could recommend a reasonable fun / fast route from Mid Wales, through the Peak District, cutting through between Manchester and Leeds to end up near Darlington or Scotch Corner.

There are a few of us heading down to Pendine sands in a couple of weeks time from Scotland on the motorbikes. Taking 2 days to get down and 2 days back. Got the routes sorted on the way down, through the west side of the country, down through Hawes, Ribble Valley, short motorway stint from Preston into Chester for the night before cutting across Bala and Dolgellau to the coast road. One the last day back we'll head back from Bernards Castle through Northumberland and Kielder Forrest.

Plenty of good routes from Pendine to Mid Wales, can hardly pick a bad road, but the bit I'm struggling with is a good non motorway route to get through between Manchester and Leeds. Was hoping to cut through mid Wales, skirt around either side of Stoke into the Peak District and cut through somewhere between Rochdale and Leeds.

Are there any good routes to get through this bit of the country. Would like to stick to nice B or A roads and avoid miles of 40mph average speed camera bits through the Peak District. Would also like to avoid mile after mile of semi urban, 30mph or 40mph village after village if you know what I mean.

Are there any decent scenic routes that cut through between Manchester and Huddersfield/Halifax or do we have to bite the bullet and get on the Motorway and do the M6 / M62 route?

[Red Devil]

fastedd said:

Are there any decent scenic routes that cut through between Manchester and Huddersfield/Halifax or do we have to bite the bullet and get on the Motorway and do the
M6 / M62 route?

Leave M6 at J19
A556 to M56 J8
M56/M60 to J25 (Bredbury)
A560/A57 to Mottram-in-Longdendale
A6018 to Stalybridge

A635 to Holmfirth - it's by far the best of the cross Pennine roads from Manchester.

Then
A6024 to Honley
A616 to Huddersfield

or

B6107 to Meltham
B6107/B6109 to Slaithwaite
Unclassified to A640
A640/B6112/A629 to Halifax

I wonder how many people drive past this spot on the A635 without realising its significance in what is probably the best known murder case of the last 50 years.

[fastedd]

Red Devil,

Thanks for the routes, however I think I may have been unclear and confusing. I'm trying to get from the South (Peak District) to the North (Scotch Corner) via the Yorkshire Dales, cutting up through a gap between Manchester and Leeds, and not going from Manchester to Leeds

[Hooli]

I'll vote for A6024 as well, an excellent road. I normally get onto it from Glossop heading north.

[terry tibbs]

crumbs
well here goes; i haven't got the time to list the road numbers, 75% + of the peak district is 40/50mph; avoiding urban areas is difficult.

Listing the towns in order starting at welshpool, you should be able to link the roads and what i think is ok may not be for you.

so from: welshpool, onto oswestry, ellesmere, whitchurch, crewe, congleton, buxton, whaley bridge, chapel en le frith, hayfield, glossop, stalybridge, grasscorft, denshaw, ripponden, sowerby bridge, hebden bridge, keighly, silsden, addingham, bolton abbey, pateley bridge, ripon, masham, leyburn - up to you after this point

whilst not in one run, i have used all of these roads as alternative ways home from various sites to avoid the motorway network,
i hope they are of some use and you are good at configuring tomtom/garmin or map reading

[fastedd]

Great stuff: many thanks.

I've put the points in here: http://goo.gl/maps/FkE18

The route through Wales is arbitrary at the moment, I may come slightly lower and cut across between Telford and Shrewsbury and below Stoke. I'll have a run through using streetmap to gauge the roads later.

[dcb]

fastedd said:

I've put the points in here: http://goo.gl/maps/FkE18

Interesting route. I can't speak for any part of the route
south of Skipton, but the route north of there sticks to the
lowland.

I'd have suggested routes a lot further west. Hawes, and any of the
roads to get to it, would be almost mandatory.

I also suggest you get to somewhere like Buxton and just
put your satnav on shortest route: you'll not go far wrong with
that.

[fastedd]

On the way down, we'll be passing through Hawick, maybe Alston, Hawes, Ribble Valley and jump on the Motorway near Preston to skip down to overnight in Chester. Was thinking of a different route back for the change. After an overnight, plan to return via Bernard's Castle, Kielder Forest and back to Hawick.

The shortest route from Buxton just takes us a direct route to the M1 at Barnsley.

It may be better to have some fun crossing mid wales then jump on the M6 and cut across M65 before getting off the beaten track again via Skipton. Peak district seems attractive to get to but it just may not be practical to go through there and still make progress.

[numtumfutunch]

Peak District

Sorry bikeroutetoaster wont let me publish at the moment

Depending on what kind of bikes youre riding Id go:

Stoke
Leek
Onecote
Longnor
Monyash
Bakewell
Hathersage
Bamford
Strines Moor
Woodhead Pass
Holme Moss
Holmefirth

Strines Moor maybe a handful on a Goldwing
Everthing else should be sweet

Good cafes at Longnor, Monyash and Langsett
Pub lunch at Ladybower or Strines

[fastedd]

Didn't want to start a new topic, so thought I'd bang this here:

Planned routes from Aberdeen to South Wales, 2 days down and 2 days back. Should be fun. Decided to skip round Manchester on the motorway. Have I missed any good bits?

http://goo.gl/maps/qvmS9

[numtumfutunch]

You seem to have missed the Peak District

[ARH]

You drive pass my house! don't forget to wave :-)

[fastedd]

I know, I know. Every time I try to plan a route via the Peak District, I have a look at Streetview and it seems that once through the peak district its mile after mile of 30mph village after village.

I've got 3 routes here: http://goo.gl/maps/WJqRY

One bypasses the peak district using the motorway, one heads to the right through Strines Moore and Woodhead Pass and one stays to the left through Buxton.

Which would you do?

Here's some more specific questions I guess.

a) Would you head up through Nantwich, Crewe and Congleton or would you go further south round Shewsbury, Newport and Cheadle?

b) Cross Peak district RHS through Bakewell, Strines Moore and Woodhead Pass or through Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Firth and Stalybridge?

c) Cross the Yorkshire Dales on the B6160 through Kettlewell and Buckden or go the RHS through Pateley Bridge and Masham?

I guess either way it should be fun finding out.

[numtumfutunch]

The blue route is essentially mine and consequently much better than the other 2
You wont be disappointed - I hope

If you have heavy bikes there are some stiff hairpins just out of Longnor at Crowdecote, you may wish to switch to Hartington to avoid
They should be fine on anything besides a Wing though
Also poss worth a diversion to Monsal Head just north of Ashford on the water, then to Bamford via Bradwell in lieu of Bakewell
Its very pretty and there an excellent cafe option as well as a boozer

The Buxton to Glossop route you listed is exactly the kind you are hoping to avoid

Cheers