I've mentioned here before my favourite handy 'B' road route through Lincolnshire that provides a surprisingly quick - and very pleasant - alternative to other north-south routes such as the A1 for journeys between Yorkshire on the one hand and East Anglia and the Southeast on the other.
I've often wondered whether it is possible to find a similarly attractive north-south route the other side of the Humber Bridge through the East Riding and North Yorkshire for trips to the Northeast. A quick look at a decent road atlas suggests a number of possibilities, but last week when I was heading up to Newcastle for our Verdict test of the Kia cee'd, I decided to try the following route, which starts at Beverley, a little to the north of the Humber Bridge.
Beverley, which I believe was the county town (if that is the correct term to use in connection with the artificial post-1974 authorities) of Humberside is worth a stop if you have time. As well as Beverley Minster there are several other impressive older buildings. Traffic heading north has to squeeze through a narrow archway - not sure what it's called - after which open countryside beckons.
The B1248 heads north-west; initially the landscape is comparatively flat - the former RAF Leconfield is nearby - but becomes increasingly hilly as you head for Malham in order to pick up the B1257 to Helmsley. Helmsley is where the North Yorkshire Moors start and the B1257 provides a lot of driving pleasure and plenty of attractive countryside to look at as well, before delivering you into Stokesley, just south of Middlesbrough.
I used this route in conjunction with my favourite 'B' road run through Lincolnshire and got from Cambridgshire to Newcastle in about six hours; I ran into a bit of congestion in Boston and Horncastle (but apart from that encountered only light traffic) and took a couple of breaks as well. I don't think heading up the A14 and A1 would have been much quicker - it certainly wouldn't have been as nice. The next priority is to explore other 'B' roads through North Yorkshire.
Showing posts with label Humber Bridge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humber Bridge. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
Monday, 14 May 2007
Road tips 3 - B1225 and B1183 through Lincolnshire
The B1225 and B1183 form a north-south link through Lincolnshire and can be incorporated into any journey between Yorkshire (or points north) and East Anglia. These are excellent driving roads and also provide a chance to see the Lincolnshire countryside, which is a lot more interesting than it's sometimes given credit for - it's not all flat for a start!
These roads can also be a surprisingly quick way of completing north-south journeys when the A1 is clogged and are a lot nicer than the broadly parallel A15 and A16 which always seem to be unpleasantly congested whenever I use them. And don't be put off by the fact that these are B roads; they are a lot better than many 'A's and, at least at the times I have used them, they have had little traffic on them. This description of the route runs from north to south.
It's best to join the B1225 at Caistor, which is about ten miles south of the Humber Bridge. This is a relatively fast road with long sweeping curves that takes you over the undulating Lincolnshire Wolds (no, I'm not sure what a wold is either). On my last run along this stretch yesterday, I saw a lot of new road safety signs aimed at motorcyclists; I didn't encounter any, but the B1225 does look like ideal bike country. It doesn't pass through any significant towns, but a short detour will take you to Market Rasen or Louth.
A minor bonus is that the B1225 also passes the base of the Belmont (TV) transmitting station. You've probably never heard of it but this is the tallest structure in Britain, and, according to some accounts, in Europe. Apparently, it's an identical twin of the old Emley mast that famously iced up and collapsed in the late sixties. This photo, taken yesterday, shows it disappearing into the mist; it's a guyed structure, and some of the guy-ropes can just about be made out here (click on the picture to see an enlarged version).
The B1225 eventually joins the A158 near Horncastle, which is certainly worth a look; like the other towns in the region, it's very charming in a slightly frozen in time, fifties sort of way.
Just to the south of Horncastle, the B1183 starts in an appealingly twisty fashion - there's some fun to be had here - but after a few miles, it opens up, leaving the Wolds behind and tracks for miles beneath the 'big sky' for which the Fens are famous on a series of very long, fast straights.
Incidentally, the B1183 offers an unusual opportunity to visit New York and Boston within the space of about half an hour; New York is a small place signposted off the B1183 to the west, while Boston is the road's southern terminus.
These roads can also be a surprisingly quick way of completing north-south journeys when the A1 is clogged and are a lot nicer than the broadly parallel A15 and A16 which always seem to be unpleasantly congested whenever I use them. And don't be put off by the fact that these are B roads; they are a lot better than many 'A's and, at least at the times I have used them, they have had little traffic on them. This description of the route runs from north to south.
It's best to join the B1225 at Caistor, which is about ten miles south of the Humber Bridge. This is a relatively fast road with long sweeping curves that takes you over the undulating Lincolnshire Wolds (no, I'm not sure what a wold is either). On my last run along this stretch yesterday, I saw a lot of new road safety signs aimed at motorcyclists; I didn't encounter any, but the B1225 does look like ideal bike country. It doesn't pass through any significant towns, but a short detour will take you to Market Rasen or Louth.
A minor bonus is that the B1225 also passes the base of the Belmont (TV) transmitting station. You've probably never heard of it but this is the tallest structure in Britain, and, according to some accounts, in Europe. Apparently, it's an identical twin of the old Emley mast that famously iced up and collapsed in the late sixties. This photo, taken yesterday, shows it disappearing into the mist; it's a guyed structure, and some of the guy-ropes can just about be made out here (click on the picture to see an enlarged version).
The B1225 eventually joins the A158 near Horncastle, which is certainly worth a look; like the other towns in the region, it's very charming in a slightly frozen in time, fifties sort of way.
Just to the south of Horncastle, the B1183 starts in an appealingly twisty fashion - there's some fun to be had here - but after a few miles, it opens up, leaving the Wolds behind and tracks for miles beneath the 'big sky' for which the Fens are famous on a series of very long, fast straights.
Incidentally, the B1183 offers an unusual opportunity to visit New York and Boston within the space of about half an hour; New York is a small place signposted off the B1183 to the west, while Boston is the road's southern terminus.
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