A39 and A30 alternatives

[puffin]

Mick F, this is great stuff, but tell me, I've done LEJOG before, and have always used the SEvern Valley route, not Gloucester. What do you feel the relative advantages / disadvantages are?

[Mick F]

Going via Gloucester is shorter as well as flatter.
No competition as far as I'm concerned.

Done the crossing the Severn bit a couple of times, but the Gloucester route quite a few times. Half a dozen maybe.

Favoured stops from here:
Bridgwater
Ledbury
Shrewsbury ................. or with my sister just south of Wrexham.

When I did my Raleigh Chopper JOGLE, I'd stayed with my sister, then Ludlow, Gloucester, Bridgwater, and then home. LE the next day and then driven home.

[puffin]

Going via Gloucester is shorter as well as flatter.
No competition as far as I'm concerned.

Done the crossing the Severn bit a couple of times, but the Gloucester route quite a few times. Half a dozen maybe.

Favoured stops from here:
Bridgwater
Ledbury
Shrewsbury ................. or with my sister just south of Wrexham.

When I did my Raleigh Chopper JOGLE, I'd stayed with my sister, then Ludlow, Gloucester, Bridgwater, and then home. LE the next day and then driven home.

Thanks for this Mick, I'll have a look.

Best wishes

[wjhall]

...
or

I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw Kingsweston Lane ....

...
If you follow NCN route 41 you go through an underpass which is a popular car burning spot and is regularly covered in broken glass. .....

Fair comment about the car burning and a useful insight into the reality of the famous Bristol 'Cycling City', although this is also the only cycle route where I can recall ordinary commuters writing to the local paper asking for urgent reopening, when it was closed by a bridge strike, and they had to use Kingsweston Lane. What does surprise me is that cycle.travel makes good use of NCN 41 all the way in from Severn Beach including a neat approach to the M5 bridge through Henacre and Barracks Lane, but avoids this bit in favour of Kingsweston Lane. I doubt if the burnt cars have found their way onto the map database. Eventually planners will probably start to show use of the shared pavements on the new industrial estates east of the A403, which are broad and quiet.

[sjs]

For me it’s just a recreational ride / holiday.

+1
I took a scenic route from LE via Helston, back lanes to Falmouth, ferry to St Mawes, Bodinnick ferry at Fowey, lanes to Looe, then lost a lot of time with a mechanical and ended up taking the A38 in pouring rain from Plymouth to Exeter, which was horrible.

[Bmblbzzz]

If you don't want to use the A38 through Bristol, I'd recommend Concorde Way from the Northern Fringe to the Centre. And while I'd be perfectly happy to use the A38 from Gloucester to the centre of Bristol (but bear in mind I live almost on it!), I'd be inclined to avoid it south of Bedminster Down.

[LittleGreyCat]

In 2014 I cycled from Lowestoft to Lands End and from Barnstaple went along A39 and then A30. It suited me at the time and got me to where I wanted to be but wasn't the best. Any other options that are flat-ish to pass through Devon and Cornwall?

Recommendations most welcome.

From where are you entering Devon?
Are you doing JOGLE?

If coming SW, come down to Gloucester and not down the Wye Valley over the Severn.
Follow the A38 towards Bristol.
Many ways SW to avoid Bristol city centre, but you need to end up on the A38 heading for Bridgwater.
From there, it's Taunton, Wellington and Tiverton.

Taunton is ok, and go through Wellington town centre and down the A38 to M5 J27.
Cross over the M5 and head through Samford Peverell and Halberton into Tiverton, then down to Bickleigh.
Do not go up Bickleigh Hill to Crediton!

Instead, go south and turn off along Rob's Passage to Crediton. Look it up on here for the route!

From there, do Copplestone, Bow, and Okehampton town centre.
As you leave the town, keep going up the hill and past Bettly Cottles Inn and turn off right before you cross over the A30. Just past a farm on your right.
Top of the hill, turn left and go past the Travel Lodge and the service area and pass under the A30 then turn right. This is the Old A30 and keep going with many long downhills and it'll take you over the bridge into Cornwall by Launceston Rugby ground.

Turn right opposite the playing field and to another junction just past the water works and turn left. Keep going to the end and turn left, then right at the mini roundabout.

Up the hill, and right and then left at St Stephens and keep on that road through Egloskerry and Tresmeer to pop out on the A395 and head west for Davidstow through Hallworthy.

At the end of the road, it's the A39 and turn south through Camelford and Wadebridge to St Columb Major.
Cross over the Newquay road and go via St Newlyn East to the A30 and Zenor. Rejoin the A30 for a short while to Blackwater and follow the Old A30 again through Redruth and Camborne and Connor Downs to Hayle.

Through Hayle town centre and join the A30 for Penzance. Go through the town and out again for LE.

Is this route enshrined somewhere in Cycle.Travel?
It would make planning that bit of the JOGLE a bit easier.
I've already been very kindly given an alternative route around Nottingham and advice on avoiding a ferry.
At the moment I'm using the East Coast flat(er) route from Cycle.Travel as my main route guide.

[whoof]

In 2014 I cycled from Lowestoft to Lands End and from Barnstaple went along A39 and then A30. It suited me at the time and got me to where I wanted to be but wasn't the best. Any other options that are flat-ish to pass through Devon and Cornwall?

Recommendations most welcome.

From where are you entering Devon?
Are you doing JOGLE?

If coming SW, come down to Gloucester and not down the Wye Valley over the Severn.
Follow the A38 towards Bristol.
Many ways SW to avoid Bristol city centre, but you need to end up on the A38 heading for Bridgwater.
From there, it's Taunton, Wellington and Tiverton.

Taunton is ok, and go through Wellington town centre and down the A38 to M5 J27.
Cross over the M5 and head through Samford Peverell and Halberton into Tiverton, then down to Bickleigh.
Do not go up Bickleigh Hill to Crediton!

Instead, go south and turn off along Rob's Passage to Crediton. Look it up on here for the route!

From there, do Copplestone, Bow, and Okehampton town centre.
As you leave the town, keep going up the hill and past Bettly Cottles Inn and turn off right before you cross over the A30. Just past a farm on your right.
Top of the hill, turn left and go past the Travel Lodge and the service area and pass under the A30 then turn right. This is the Old A30 and keep going with many long downhills and it'll take you over the bridge into Cornwall by Launceston Rugby ground.

Turn right opposite the playing field and to another junction just past the water works and turn left. Keep going to the end and turn left, then right at the mini roundabout.

Up the hill, and right and then left at St Stephens and keep on that road through Egloskerry and Tresmeer to pop out on the A395 and head west for Davidstow through Hallworthy.

At the end of the road, it's the A39 and turn south through Camelford and Wadebridge to St Columb Major.
Cross over the Newquay road and go via St Newlyn East to the A30 and Zenor. Rejoin the A30 for a short while to Blackwater and follow the Old A30 again through Redruth and Camborne and Connor Downs to Hayle.

Through Hayle town centre and join the A30 for Penzance. Go through the town and out again for LE.

Is this route enshrined somewhere in Cycle.Travel?
It would make planning that bit of the JOGLE a bit easier.
I've already been very kindly given an alternative route around Nottingham and advice on avoiding a ferry.
At the moment I'm using the East Coast flat(er) route from Cycle.Travel as my main route guide.

St Newlyn East is not near Zennor it is near Zelah. If you are in a rush camborne to LE on the old/new A30 is fine. A nicer route is
Camborne, Barripper Carnhell Green, Connor Downs, right into Treeve Lane to Hayle. This avoids the A30 roundabout where the there have been a number of accidents. After Hayle either left on the causeway next to the river to St Erth (again avoids roundabout) or follow the Cycle path after Asda and follow the NCN 3 to Marazion. I would then follow the road to Penzance as the off road route can be a bit rough and Sandy in places.