Getting to north Devon

May 29, 2018
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Hello.
We’re going on a little jolly next week all the way from East Yorkshire down to Woolacombe in North Devon.

Looking at the maps, the roads across from the M5 at Tiverton look quite quite minor in places.
Can anyone recommend the best way across (not necessarily the quickest)

thanks.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Hello.
We’re going on a little jolly next week all the way from East Yorkshire down to Woolacombe in North Devon.

Looking at the maps, the roads across from the M5 at Tiverton look quite quite minor in places.
Can anyone recommend the best way across (not necessarily the quickest)

thanks.
The North Devon link ( or whatever it’s named) is a good route. We’ve used it for Lyndon several times. Once you drop off it fir the seaside resorts it’s invariably smaller roads but if you keep to the main routes into the resorts they are fine.
 
Jan 3, 2012
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If i was going to North devon i would take the same route from my house it all motorways M1 ,M42 , M5 until you come off on the link road A361 .
 
Jun 20, 2005
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Done this route 16 times this year. Mum lived in Bideford.
J 27 off the M5. Join the A 361 dual carriageway to Tiverton. Then it becomes a 60 mph, 50 mph for us, all the way. There are long stretches of overtaking lanes so you won’t be a nuisance. Lots of lay byes too.
However be warned now . This road generates more speeding fine income for North Devon Council than anywhere else in the area. Fixed cameras, mobile camera and plain clothed cop cars. The road is hilly but imo quite safe and still the quickest easiest route to use.
 
Jul 3, 2020
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Done this route 16 times this year. Mum lived in Bideford.
J 27 off the M5. Join the A 361 dual carriageway to Tiverton. Then it becomes a 60 mph, 50 mph for us, all the way. There are long stretches of overtaking lanes so you won’t be a nuisance. Lots of lay byes too.
However be warned now . This road generates more speeding fine income for North Devon Council than anywhere else in the area. Fixed cameras, mobile camera and plain clothed cop cars. The road is hilly but imo quite safe and still the quickest easiest route to use.

From about where I live near Junction 23, Bridgwater north, is a accident blackspot, which runs down to about Wellington, the Tiverton bypass is lovely in some ways, but a nightmare in another. Hence how many speed cameras etc.

Haven't been Woolacombe for years, but do remember a very nasty series of bends on a hill, I assume that the Tiverton bypass neglects these now or am I'm wrong

P.S

When you get to the M5 junction 23 south (willow man). I live further south along the motorway, next road bridge down, and very near to the major Greenhouses on the right. Give us a wave
 
Nov 11, 2009
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From about where I live near Junction 23, Bridgwater north, is a accident blackspot, which runs down to about Wellington, the Tiverton bypass is lovely in some ways, but a nightmare in another. Hence how many speed cameras etc.

Haven't been Woolacombe for years, but do remember a very nasty series of bends on a hill, I assume that the Tiverton bypass neglects these now or am I'm wrong

P.S

When you get to the M5 junction 23 south (willow man). I live further south along the motorway, next road bridge down, and very near to the major Greenhouses on the right. Give us a wave
I wonder what makes it an accident black spot. I’ve traveled that section many times going to and from Plymouth for work and it’s never struck me as anything other than a normal piece of motorway. Far less onerous than the M6 Birmingham to Preston.
 
Jul 3, 2020
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I wonder what makes it an accident black spot. I’ve traveled that section many times going to and from Plymouth for work and it’s never struck me as anything other than a normal piece of motorway. Far less onerous than the M6 Birmingham to Preston.

Goodness knows,

Whether its down to tiredness at this point of somebodies journey, or how easily mist or fog happen in this area not sure. I do know it must have been tiredness that almost got me shunted off the motorway, on the viaduct near the Boat and Anchor Pub, where the motorway goes across the River Parrett and Canal.

I hadn't been driving that long, and not done any motorway driving, had gone shopping in Taunton with my mum, who convinced me that it be a good idea to start my motorway driving, So got on at Junction 25 at Taunton, stayed on the slow lane..... got to the viaduct, and then there's a lorry along side me.... Then was passing, when I was halfway down its trailer I realised that its coming over to my lane..... I had no option but to get onto the hard shoulder, and hit the accelerator flat to the floor in a attempt to out run it before it hit me, which I managed to do by a few inches... Hence my dislike of motorway driving.
 
Nov 6, 2005
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I wonder what makes it an accident black spot. I’ve traveled that section many times going to and from Plymouth for work and it’s never struck me as anything other than a normal piece of motorway. Far less onerous than the M6 Birmingham to Preston.
Mist and fog across the Somerset Levels don't help - it may also be just the wrong distance from Cornwall for fatigue to set in.
 
Jul 30, 2007
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I would have advised that once you were on the hard shoulder to avoid the lorry,you should have just eased off the accelerator until it had passed and then re-joined the inside lane behind him.
(Note I said "inside lane",not "slow lane").
Glad you managed to avoid him though and no-one was hurt.
 
Jan 3, 2012
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From my home to Barnstaple this would be my route
M1, M42 and M5
Take exit 27 from M5
Follow A361 to A3125 to Barnstaple
 

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