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Route from Northwest to Folkestone, no motorways?

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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 19:55 - 08 Mar 2018    Post subject: Route from Northwest to Folkestone, no motorways? Reply with quote

I'll be heading for the Channel Tunnel with the bike in a few weeks for the first time Dance! (well, if it ever stops snowing) and am doing a bit of advance planning...

As my crossing is at stupid o'clock I'm going to overnight at Ashford. I can therefore make a leisurely day of it getting down there from the Northwest (south of Manchester) the day before, and would like to make it a decent ride rather than a boring motorway slog as far as that's possible. I don't know the south at all well - has anyone got any decent suggestions for routes south of the midlands? Or am I stuck with M1 or M40 - M25 (please God nooo...) - M20?

(Just for fun I stuck it into Google Maps with the "no highways" option ticked - it just took me via the A1 from south of Peterborough (so may as well be motorway), smack through the middle of London! Maybe not)
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doggone
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PostPosted: 20:40 - 08 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could head more for Hastings or even Brighton and hug the coast East. Kent is surprisingly rural considering how [from up north] it seems 'near London'. Canterbury is worth visiting. lots of wonky oak frame buildings.
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pepperami
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PostPosted: 21:26 - 08 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Possibly A1 - A14 - A12 - a little bit of M25 through across the QE2 bridge and once you’re into Kent the choice is yours Thumbs Up
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raesewell
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PostPosted: 22:42 - 08 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could probably adapt this route. The last bit is motorway but you could avoid those. It's one I have planned for later in the year.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/53.2558,-0.92084/53.2232,-0.93355/53.1736,-0.99078/53.1205,-0.99266/53.0916,-0.97221/53.0686,-0.96263/52.9751,-0.97056/52.8091,-0.93942/52.6481,-0.90465/52.4331,-0.8359/52.3421,-0.6517/52.2656,-0.57665/52.1111,-0.12831/52.0578,0.02852/51.4866,0.27418/51.3519,0.27416/51.1579,0.87016/51.1628,0.87041/@52.2012226,-1.2010087,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m4!4m3!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en
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G
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PostPosted: 22:46 - 08 Mar 2018    Post subject: Re: Route from Northwest to Folkestone, no motorways? Reply with quote

Avoiding motorways to find 'good roads' - not a massive amount of choice I'm afraid. Definitely wouldn't go for the big roads over A-Roads just for the sake of it, unless it was a licence issue.

South East is particularly bad for it - the 30 and 40 limits have expanded with all the wealthy green-belt commuter villages and town.

Here's an idea for a portion of it - I've ridden all of it at various points.
None of it particularly great - but don't think you'll find much better either.
Th Reading -> Boxhill section was my normal route 'back in the day' for Sunday BCF meetups.
https://goo.gl/maps/CYzUiPgwvDn
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Ste
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PostPosted: 23:18 - 08 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I recall the A44 from Oxford through Evesham to Worcester had some fun bits.
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 10:38 - 09 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Should've gone from Hull.
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alan29
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PostPosted: 16:41 - 10 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

stinkwheel wrote:
Should've gone from Hull.


Thats what I do from the Wirral.
Avoid the south altogether - bonus!
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 17:36 - 10 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, there's some good food for thought there. Now just need to make sure my route doesn't end up so scenic that it's more than a comfortable daytrip!

(Yes Hull would have definitely been my first choice - used to do that with a carful of kids in years gone by - but out of my hands as I'm meeting up with others in Folkestone)
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Kris
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PostPosted: 21:41 - 12 Mar 2018    Post subject: Re: Route from Northwest to Folkestone, no motorways? Reply with quote

Freddyfruitbat wrote:


As my crossing is at stupid o'clock I'm going to overnight at Ashford



Can't help with the route but enjoy the empty M20 to Folkestone in the morning. Good fun that Thumbs Up
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Tdibs
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PostPosted: 23:29 - 12 Mar 2018    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would do it something like This At some point you are going to have to suck up 25/m20. The Burton to Hinkley part is quite fun and A5 is a lot nicer to be on than the M1... Plus you can rejoin M1 very easily if you need to. Cat and fiddle into the peaks then south east out is worth it too imo!

Deffo a lot more options though.
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