A11 has opened today with the dual carriageway at Thetford

[Poppy]

Speed Camera van on A11Sunday near Snetterden ,spoil a few peeps days I'm sure.

 

Only if they were ignoring the speed limit.......

[Boaters]

Trouble is many drive around the limit and get caught out on those little downhill stretches.I now find the cruise control set under the max speed helps,but I get left behind by inpatient drivers and then tailgaters when dropping to the relevant limits on the journey when you hit the B roads.

[Wussername]

The speed vans in Norfolk used to prosecute at the limit plus 10% plus 3 miles per hour. Therefore in 70 mile an hour limit 70x10%=77+3=80. A smidgeon over that in you are in the clag. Static camera's, the yellow jobbies, very unforgiving. Two or three mph over and you could well be looking at three points and £100 fine.

Plod, about the same I guess, but not many about but when they are be carefull.

Old Wussername

[Poppy]

The speed vans in Norfolk used to prosecute at the limit plus 10% plus 3 miles per hour. Therefore in 70 mile an hour limit 70x10%=77+3=80. A smidgeon over that in you are in the clag. Static camera's, the yellow jobbies, very unforgiving. Two or three mph over and you could well be looking at three points and £100 fine.

Plod, about the same I guess, but not many about but when they are be carefull.

Old Wussername

 

The speed vans in Norfolk used to prosecute at the limit plus 10% plus 3 miles per hour. Therefore in 70 mile an hour limit 70x10%=77+3=80. A smidgeon over that in you are in the clag. Static camera's, the yellow jobbies, very unforgiving. Two or three mph over and you could well be looking at three points and £100 fine.

Plod, about the same I guess, but not many about but when they are be carefull.

Old Wussername

Which would be simplicity itself to defend, since the construction and use regs. require that a vehicle has a speed measuring device, and 'the indicated speed must not exceed 110% of the actual speed'. Thus at 30mph, no prosecution would 'stick' at a measured speed less than 33mph ..... The vans do not vary from that.

However , remember that if your speedo says 77mph, you could be doing almost 85........

[Poppy]

Theoretically, yes, but in practice it'll always be the other way around - at least if it's a modern car (post 2004) that uses the data from its ABS sensors for the speedo. 

 

 

You could rely on the speed shown on your GPS ! Whatever, all good reason TO STICK TO THE SPEED LIMITS - pretty please....... Especially in Norfolk!!

[BroadScot]

You could rely on the speed shown on your GPS ! Whatever, all good reason TO STICK TO THE SPEED LIMITS - pretty please....... Especially in Norfolk!!

That will be 3/4/5 and 6mph

 

 

Iain.

[Guest]

I use a Road Angel Gem+ .... good piece of kit and has saved me a few times..... not that I speed your honour.

[SteveO]

We will be travelling back from Norfolk on Sunday. With the A11 improvements and the "streamlining" of the Dartford crossing, I am expecting great things.  Will report back.

 

On the subject of speeding, I came to the conclusion a while ago that, with traffic levels as they are, there is no point in trying to get there than the road will let you.  That said, I do get impatient with the (usually) old f*rts who proceed at 25 in a 30 mile limit and 30 in a 40 zone, especially when there is nowhere safe to overtake them.

 

 

Steve

[SteveO]

We returned from our flying visit to Norfolk this afternoon and "road tested" the newly dualled A11 on the way back.  The road is fantastic and it was great to fly past those spots that were previously potential sources of delay.  The new Dartford Crossing arrangements also worked well and we were able to get back in 3 hours and 10 minutes without breaking any speed limits.  Our previous best journey time was 3 hrs 15.

 

 

Steve

[SweetKingfisher1]

Can I ask, because we don't use the A11 that much. Does the A11 have a number of Service Stations for the good old rest break  ?  From what I can remember A11 is / was poor for Service Stations, so has anyone got an idea for me, please . I am driving up at the end of the month and I want to try the A11 instead of my old route of A12 and then up to the A140.

 

Regards

Marina   

[Matt]

It's certainly not flush with them!

You will pass Birchanger on M11 which is a traditional motorway services. The others are:

Fourwentways A11

Thickthorn A11

But I have never used them!

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Ah yeah, Fourwentways is the Cambridge one I was thinking of.

 

 

I used to fill up there every Saturday when driving back to Kent from Marshalls at Cambridge airport. Happy times back then, but these days we use it for "comfort and a cuppa" en-route.

 

 

It will take some googling, but have a look at places just off the A11. You will find there are several good pubs etc where you can get more than just alcahol, which can sometimes be found less than a mile or two from the A11,, as well as things like the truck stop at the entrance to Snetterton race circuit (a one time regular haunt in my racing days). I find if you make the journey part of the holiday, it opens up a lot of possibilities.

[Boaters]

New Mc Donald's. being planned on the round about at the Southern end of the new road with the existing Little Chef on the other side of the round about.

[BroadScot]

When I have been coming from Harlow area to go to Stansted Airport, I have come off the M11 and went into the village, I think is called Stansted or Little Stansted sorry not more exact, but found the pub grub not bad there and easy parking too.

 

 

Iain.

[Baitrunner]

At Fourwentways (the Cambridge/Haverhill exit) if you dont fancy the little chef go towards Cambridge for probably less than a mile and do the left into Babraham village. The George is very good - http://www.thegeorgebabraham.co.uk/

 

The Bull Inn at Barton Mills does good food as well (turn off left on the North bound carriageway in the 50mph limit as you approach the roundabout).

 

Further up the A11 there is the Angel Inn (just off the main road on the RHS if your North bound) - Used to be really good food and good value, but heard it's not as good now.

 

Used the new road for the first time in anger this morning for my weekly commute south - reckon it easily saves 10 minutes in rush hour.

 

I also heard there was an accident on the new road a few weeks back - not sure how bad, but there were more complaints locally about the new style "cheese cutter" crash barriers again - any bikers will know what I mean.

[Jonathan]

My route to Norfolk (weekly) is via the A140 so I am less familiar with the A11, but each time I see a new message with this heading I imagine another duel on the dual-carriageway.  If it's anything like the A140 then it is a quite appropriate title!

[stumpy]

Can't help with the A11 as we usually go A140 but we have a season ticket to the loo at Long Stratton, there's also a patch of grass and a poop bin for dog- emptying!

[SteveO]

The only thing I lament is that my "old" route fell nicely into 3 sections: M20 to bottom of A12, A12 to A140 and A140 to Horning. There was a "natural" stop at the bottom of the A140, which consists of a run-down Burger King/Little Chef at Beacon Hill services (bottom of A140) and an excellent chippy at Long Stratton.

Opportunities for refreshment, fluid in/out and changes of driver seem pretty thin on the ground on the A11/M11 route. Not a great problem though, if it is quicker.

Steve

[Baitrunner]

Steve,

    Do you normally avoid the M25? Might be worth a try with the new charging system as it does run smoother now?

 

 

If you look at time to travel between rest places I dont think it's too bad - Birchanger I always find a pain if your going South though as it's the wrong side of the road and that huge roundabout!

 

Time wise, M25 to Birchanger is only about 15 mins and another 20-25 mins and your at Fourwentways - on a good run anyway. The BP garages on the A14 must then only be another 10-15 mins from Fourwentways, then Barton Mills another 10 mins on. Then Thetford (BP and Sainsburys) another 10 mins on the new road.

 

If you have a dog there is a park, car park, toilets and little cafe about 50yds up the A1065 just off the Barton Mills roundabout. Gets busy on a nice Sunday with bikers, but you get some nice old bikes there if you like that sort of thing. 

[SweetKingfisher1]

You all have helped with my quest regarding a rest break on the A11 and yes after traveling the same route of M25, A12 and yes the good old A140 for 10 years is hard to change  . We always stop for a quick break at Beacon Hill Services  . 

 

Ok, by what you all are saying regarding the A11 it looks like for me to give it a try when I drive up at the end of the month. I want to go to a farm shop on the Fakenham road to buy some Norfolk popcorn    . I go across country from the A47 to the Fakenham road, it's a good route to know  .

 

I will let you know which I think for me is the best route   . 

 

Regards

Marina   

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

I remember years ago, there was a publication written about alternative services, which were all less than a mile from a motorway junction. It named pubs, restaurants, teashops, cafe`s, service stations, little chefs, even snack waggons, and gave them a star rating for quality and services. It proved very popular, as when there was a discussion about it, people all said they`d never use a motorway services again. Shame there is`nt one now, well i don`t think there is, but i could be wrong.

[Baitrunner]

Not heard of that publication but sounds like a great idea.

I know when we travel up to Geordie land to see some friends in Newcastle we have found a couple of really nice pubs just off the A1 that do great food. Total luck we found them, but now they are part of the journey the food is so good.

[SweetKingfisher1]

The bit between the A14 and the M25 isn't great for services, but otherwise they're fairly frequent by East Anglian standards..

 

Perhaps we should put something up on the site to help folk travelling up from the M25, a Google Maps plot perhaps?

jonzo, it's a great idea about putting something together, because a lot of people travel to Norfolk and beyond via M25, A11 / M11. A request for a rest break / loo break especially for those with children comes at short notice    and to be able to tell them for shore when the next stop will be .

 

 Regards

Marina   

[Baitrunner]

And the A17/A47 for our Northern and Midlands brethren

[BroadScot]

And the A17/A47 for our Northern and Midlands brethren

Now how do we do this?

I have two stops before Kings Lynn, Premier Inn, first is over the border at Southwaite Services, as it has a RADAR Key Disabled Toilet and my other at the newish Wetherby Services also has RADAR Key facility x2. Neither I use for fuel though, daylight robbery! 

 

Iain.