Route advice please

Audidothat · #1 10th September 2017, 10:48 AM

Tuesday evening I am driving out of the centre of Manchester (a city I am not familiar with) and have to be in Nottingham by 18:30.

Looking at google maps it looks like either via Buxton or down & around the Peak District.?.... Any local advice on the best route (scenery aside!!!)?

Will 1.5 hours be enough either way?

tc4332 · #2 10th September 2017, 12:52 PM

I'd be tempted to head west on the M56, after the airport follow the signs for M6 South along the new road to junction 19 on the M6.
Head south to junction 15 and head north east on the A 500.
Turn right and head East on the A50, past Uttoxeter and Derby onto the A52 into Nottingham.
Any road out of Manchester at that time could be heavy going but Stockport Road southwards would be horrendous.

moltuae · #3 10th September 2017, 01:22 PM

Local advice from me would be to avoid Manchester in the first place! I hate driving into Manchester (or most cities for that matter). I've even turned down work in the past just because it was in or close to the city. I think it was all the years of working in Manchester and London when I was younger ... hate cities now.

I think you're going to need to allow at least 2 hours; 2.5 hours to be on the safe side, allowing for heavy-ish traffic. Ray's route suggestion would probably be best, time-wise. If you have more time and you prefer a more scenic route, Woodhead (the A628) is a good alternative. It would also give you a little preview of the area that is likely to be the host of next year's annual meet

tintin · #4 10th September 2017, 02:04 PM

There's not much in it between going east via the M67 and then south on the M1 (as Google recommends here - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Ma...701,-2.0797385, or following Ray's suggestion. Personally, I'd take the former - it's a nicer drive, and less chance of a minor accident having a major impact on your journey time - the M6 south between Manchester and Stafford is just one permanent set of road works, which are typically worse at the weekend, so if you enjoy the pleasure of driving at all, then I'd avoid that.

Given that you're aiming to be in Nottingham for 6.30pm on Tuesday, I'd definitely favour the M67/M1 route - the M6 south from 3pm can be at a standstill for over an hour - on my last two trips south at that time Google (correctly) diverted me onto A roads, and it took over 2 and 1/2 hours just to get to Birmingham.

1781cc · #5 10th September 2017, 04:11 PM

My mum lives in new mills and from there to chesterfield is stunning scenery, Buxton is also pretty itself but if your going to Nottingham I'd go Stockport > new mills > chesterfield > m1 down

Going over the peaks is stunning

tintin · #6 11th September 2017, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1781cc

My mum lives in new mills and from there to chesterfield is stunning scenery, Buxton is also pretty itself but if your going to Nottingham I'd go Stockport > new mills > chesterfield > m1 down

Going over the peaks is stunning

Except the A6 stretch through Stockport to Hazel Grove which is without a shadow of doubt the worst stretch of road in the country (IMO..) - slow, stressful, busy, noisy, smelly, ugly, and full of drivers who either:
(a) want to turn right with little notice and make everyone behind wait or
(b) do the same at the kerb with the same effect.
After which you need the scenery to recover from the trauma - though to be fair, it's not that long a stretch of road....

1781cc · #7 12th September 2017, 05:42 AM

Yeah, there can be a few dodgy sections but I loved going through the peaks in my cabriolet with the roof down, it was lovely, the undulations in the road really help elevate your field of view. I once went down the buxom way and avoided chesterfield, also nice but not the same wide expanse view

Professor Peach · #8 12th September 2017, 12:05 PM

Another option is through Stockport and then jump the A523 to Macc and Leek and then the A52 through Ashbourne to Nottingham. Not as twisty as going through the Peak District although the towns can get clogged at times!

Audidothat · #9 13th September 2017, 04:47 PM

Thanks all for the advice, worked well. I went out of Manchester (via tunnels under the airport I think) , got on a lovely new road to the M6 and then down to the A500.

Driving around Nottingham one-way system in rush hour was nil fun!

moltuae · #10 13th September 2017, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audidothat

got on a lovely new road to the M6

Ah, the new A556 bypass!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-39183315

I unintentionally found myself on that a couple of months ago. Confused the hell out of my old RNS-D sat-nav, which seemed to think I was off-roading.