Author Topic: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?  (Read 1806 times)

Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« on: 09 January, 2019, 02:23:07 pm »
I am going to come over at the end of january for a funeral. I have been looking at the route from Kidlington (where we will stay with my daughter) to Ormskirk for the funeral. Viamichelin seems to only consider the E05 toll road round Birmingham or options a lot further out. Is it no longer possible or practical to go M6 Spaghetti junction or M5/M6 going north across Brum like I once did (a few decades ago)? What is the best route heading north-west from Oxford for a cheapskate who objects to "péages", travelling time and distance being more important than pretty scenery?

PaulF

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Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #1 on: 09 January, 2019, 02:37:36 pm »
To do a similar journey (from South of Oxford to Cheshire) we'll often go M40-M42(W)-M5-M6 which avoids the Toll and, on paper at least, is only 10 minutes longer.

mattc

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Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #2 on: 09 January, 2019, 02:41:55 pm »
I would seriously consider paying the toll - when I've used it, we saves a load of time (and they have the nicest services, where you can dine with Merc-driving directors and the like  ;D )

Hope the trip works out OK.
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Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #3 on: 09 January, 2019, 02:56:51 pm »
Still perfectly possible to do both M5/M6 or Gravelly Hill. Very often the M6 toll is the best route - particularly coming from that direction, be aware there's also 40 miles of roadworks north of Brum on the M6.

Personally if I was travelling late evening/night/very early morning I'd use the Spaghetti Junction route - M40/M42/M6/M58

Anywhere near rush hour/daytime - M40/M42/M6 Toll/M6/M58

Probably wouldn't even consider M5 route and never did when Blackpool-Oxford was a weekly commuting exercise. Last time I went through the M5/M6 intersection there was a 30mph limit on it - it was carnage

Kim

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Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #4 on: 09 January, 2019, 03:49:03 pm »
be aware there's also 40 miles of roadworks north of Brum on the M6.

Indeed!  Took us over 3 hours to get to Disley from Brum on Sunday.  Foolishly we trusted the Satnav's traffic advice to stay on the motorway to Stockport rather than my usual trick of coming off after Sandbach, leading to many more miles of roadworks.


Quote
Personally if I was travelling late evening/night/very early morning I'd use the Spaghetti Junction route - M40/M42/M6/M58

Anywhere near rush hour/daytime - M40/M42/M6 Toll/M6/M58

Seconded.

Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #5 on: 09 January, 2019, 04:41:21 pm »
When travelling back from Macclesfield to Coventry on Friday afternoons, many moons ago, I'd avoid the M6 / Birmingham altogether, taking the Cat and Fiddle to Buxton (well around the back via Grin Low Road) then take the A515 via Ashbourne, picking up the A38 at Alrewas, then the A5 and in my case the M69 south and round the A46 Coventry Eastern Bypass. You could follow that, and pick up the  A423 to Southam and Banbury, thence to Kidlington via M40 and A34.  Best described as scenic, and a good afternoon route when (pre toll) there could be significant queues heading south into Brum.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #6 on: 09 January, 2019, 09:11:10 pm »
Thanks for all the advice. Daytime travelling so it looks like the toll road is the preferred route. I hope the roadworks don't delay too much but we should have ample time for an afternoon cremation. Early morning ferry back from Poole is going to be tough though.

Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #7 on: 09 January, 2019, 09:12:44 pm »
I've not been that way in a bit, but there have been huge tailbacks for the last year or so around the first couple of Junctions on the M5 whils they do work on (under) the viaduct:
https://highwaysengland.co.uk/projects/m5-junction-1-to-2-oldbury-viaduct/

My experience of it has been Southbound, but it looks like they've started on the Northbound now. Maybe have a play with the traffic layer and departure times on Google maps to get a feel for where and how long the jams are.

telstarbox

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Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #8 on: 09 January, 2019, 09:15:01 pm »
IME Google Maps on mobile devices is a highly reliable satnav and can pick up local congestion very quickly.
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Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #9 on: 09 January, 2019, 09:17:10 pm »
IME Google Maps on mobile devices is a highly reliable satnav and can pick up local congestion very quickly.

Or indeed Waze.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

rogerzilla

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Re: Oxford -Ormskirk by car. How to go round Birmingham?
« Reply #10 on: 09 January, 2019, 09:18:11 pm »
I've never used the toll road because I never have cause to go around the north of Birmingham, but I'm sure it's very good if time and avoiding congestion are important.  No bugger uses it!
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