Route Planning - Local Knowledge

[notlobgp14]

I have had an idea. My wife says that she is very wary when I use that phrase! We live close to the A49 and A6 roads in Lancashire; quite a few LEJOGers use these on their way North or South. With my local knowledge, and the fact that I am a cyclist and Tandemist, that puts me in a good position to offer advice on routes / directions. The North South boundries would be Lancaster and Wigan.

Other members of the forum will be in a similar position to offer help and advice.

We are in the early stages of planning our LEJOG for 2010, on the tandem. I have jotted down my Day 1 route from LE to Camelford. Would those of you with knowledge of the Southern end of the adventure, care to comment and help with detailed directions, where you think mine are too vague.

Route Day 1

Start Lands End A30
Right B3315 Trethewey, Treen, Paul, Newlyn Penzance

Penzance Sea Front onto B3280
Longrock, Marazion, Townshend, (Godolphin House NT)
Leedstown, Praze an Beeble, Blackrock

Merge with B3297 to Redruth

Redruth, Keep Right – Head to Centre – Right to join A393, Turn Left towards A30

Roundabout Across onto Unclassified, parallel with A30 to Three Burrows

Roundabout Second Exit onto A3075 to Newquay
Perranzabuloe, Perranwell, Rejerrah

Newquay Join A392 to Third Roundabout

Roundabout First Exit onto A39 to Wadebridge

Wadebridge A39 to Camelford

Camelford

[braz]

Hello: your day 1 - stay on the main road to Penzance - your route is extremely pretty but tortuous! Your day 2: Penzance, Marazion, then follow route 3 through St Erth to Hayle, through the town to the large roundabout then follow up through Connor Downs to Camborne, Pool and Redruth.

Your trip will be exiting enough anyway without killing yourself on the first two days!

regards, Braz.

[Mick F]

Agree.

My way would be:
A30 to Hayle roundabout, and go through the town to the next roundabout. Follow Connor Downs, into Camborne and Redruth, then out via Blackwater onto the A3075, then A392 and onto the A39. You can cut the corner off by aiming at St Columb Major.
Head up the A39 to Camelford.

From Camelford to Okehampton?
Here we go!

Head out of the town on the A39 and turn off for Davidstow onto the A395. Enter Halworthy and shortly after take the road off left to Tresmeer and Egloskerry. Follow this road to St Stephens. Turn right down the steep hill into Launceston.

Up the other side towards the castle, but turn off left for Polson. Follow this road around the town and pop out on a large hairpin bend. This is the Old A30.

Go downhill (east), and out into the countryside, cross the River Tamar, into Devon and keep going.

Eventually, after 16 miles or so, you reach a T junction. Turn left and under the A30 dual carriageway.

Stay on this road, no matter what the signposts say, and do a few miles to a roundabout. Go right, then half a mile later go right at the next roundabout. Go down a hill and turn left at a T junction. This is the Old A30 again and will take you directly into Okehampton Town Centre.

Any more info, just ask!

[notlobgp14]

Thanks, both of you for the advice.

Next leg; my suggestion is?

From Okehampton - A386 right onto A3072, A377, A3072 again, then A396 to Tiverton

From Tiverton, North on A396, Right onto B3227 all the way to Taunton

Then there is a 'nice' looking minor road to Bridgwater. On the route are Cheddon, Fulford, Courtway, Andersfield, Lexworthy

[Mick F]

You have a choice:
Old A30 to Exeter then Old A38 and A38 to Taunton and beyond.
Or the way you suggest to Tiverton.

Exeter etc gives slightly longer route, but far easier and quite flat.
Crediton et al is a very hilly route, especially between Crediton and Bickleigh, although there is a diversion away from the hardest bits via West Raddon to the Old A30.

From Tiverton, the easiest way is to be on the A361 to J27/M5 and the A38 for Taunton. I have no knowledge of the B3227, but from experience of the N Devon area, I would suggest it's heavy going.

Instead of the A361 dual carriageway (it's quite quiet really) you could go the old road to the A38 via Halberton and Sampford Peverell. I've not tried it, but I'm sure it would be fine as the area is fairly flat.

A38 will take you to Bristol and beyond. Very easy going (except for Red Hill near Bristol Airport, but even that is by-pass-able) all the way through to Worcester.

[ferrit worrier]

If your staying at Okehampton I can recomend "Betty Cottles" It not much dearer than the YHA but well worth it.

Malc

[peterm]

Just a quick suggestion for Hayle to Redruth.

When you get to Lidl at the far end of Hayle turn left and follow signs for Portreath. I always go this way. This road is no hillier than the Connor Downs route but much more spectacular and you avoid the urban section through Camborne and Pool. You get to see Godrevy Lighthouse and Hells Mouth where there is a good cafe and once you have reached it that is the end of the hills right through to Redruth. The road runs alongside the cliffs. There is a good little good cafe in the car park at the bottom of the long downhill right on the beach in Portreath and an excellent bakery. From here the road follows a valley right into Redruth centre.

If you want to keep to North Coast you can get to Newquay road by turning left a mile after leaving Portreath and go via St Agnes, Porthtowan and Perranporth and you will come out onto the Newquay road in Goonhavern or even past it if you followed the twisty lanes from Perranporth to Cubert and now you are almost in Newquay and it's all downhill . This second suggestion is the way I came last week and it is hilly but much nicer than going up to the Chiverton Cross roundabout.Certainly from now on if ever I wanted to get to Newquay from Pz this is the way I would go esp if not trying to break any records.The twisty lanes I mentioned are the hilliest bit so ignore that idea if trying to avoid them but Hayle to Portreath and Redruth is excellent.