Dover - Pembroke: Advice needed..

[Tonto]

I'm planning a round trip in September, which will roughly be Rosslare (Ireland) to Roscoff (France)
by ferry; cycle to holland and get a ferry to Dover; cycle from Dover to Pembroke to catch a ferry
back to Rosslare.

I have no idea what the route from Dover / Pembroke might be like. Can someone offer advise as to
the type of roads that I will be able to use; prevailing winds (don't like to spend all the time
beating against a headwind..), estimated distance and terrain (hilly, flat, a mix, etc..). From
rough calculations is looks like 300-350 miles so I would be hoping to do it in 5 days averaging 60
miles/day or so..(assuming that head winds are not a factor).

Any advice would be great.

Thanks

 

[Michael Macclan]

In message <[email protected]>, Tonto <[email protected]> writes
>I'm planning a round trip in September, which will roughly be Rosslare (Ireland) to Roscoff
>(France) by ferry; cycle to holland and get a ferry to Dover; cycle from Dover to Pembroke to catch
>a ferry back to Rosslare.
>
>I have no idea what the route from Dover / Pembroke might be like. Can someone offer advise as to
>the type of roads that I will be able to use; prevailing winds (don't like to spend all the time
>beating against a headwind..), estimated distance and terrain (hilly, flat, a mix, etc..). From
>rough calculations is looks like 300-350 miles so I would be hoping to do it in 5 days averaging 60
>miles/day or so..(assuming that head winds are not a factor).
>
>Any advice would be great.
>
>Thanks

Viamichelin.com gives the shortest route as 311 miles but 50% of that is on motorway so you can
expect more. Prevailing wind will be SW or W, so pretty much in your face the whole time. You'll
just have to hope for good weather. None of the terrain is flat, neither is it really hilly. It's
like a lot of Ireland, I guess. Sort of undulating.

Can you get a ferry from Holland to Dover? I thought they went to Harwich? Dover ferries go to
Calais (Ostend still?)
--
Michael MacClancy

 

[Michael Macclan]

In message <[email protected]>, Andrew Sweetman
<[email protected]> writes
>
>Tonto <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Actually you're right..it's Calais/Dover; the other option is Zeebruge or Rotterdam to Hull, and
>> then cross country from Hull to Pembroke, though that looks like a longer ride cross country. Any
>> thoughts on that one..?
>>
>
>How about Hook - Harwich?
>
>That would allow a reasonably direct route that could go virtually directly into quiet lanes and
>avoid all major built up areas. Look at a route passing through or close to Bedford, Banbury,
>Evesham, Hereford, Brecon, Camarthen
>
>Andrew
>
>
If you're really going as far as Holland then Andrew's suggestion of Hook of Holland - Harwich
looks best.
--
Michael MacClancy

 

[W K]

"Tonto" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Actually you're right..it's Calais/Dover; the other option is Zeebruge or Rotterdam to Hull, and
> then cross country from Hull to Pembroke, though that looks like a longer ride cross country. Any
> thoughts on that one..?

Another alternative is Hull->Liverpool (? 120 ish miles) But they you'd have extra bits to do from
Dublin. How far's Dublin to Rosslare ... 100 miles?

 

[Colin Blackburn]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>
> "Tonto" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Actually you're right..it's Calais/Dover; the other option is Zeebruge or Rotterdam to Hull, and
> > then cross country from Hull to Pembroke, though that looks like a longer ride cross country.
> > Any thoughts on that one..?
>
> Another alternative is Hull->Liverpool (? 120 ish miles)

And there is a Sustrans route for this one. The Transpennine Trail over a set of three maps
from Sustrans.

Colin

 

[Gary Knighton]

On 14 May 2003 04:53:34 -0700, contributor Tonto had scribed:
> I have no idea what the route from Dover / Pembroke might be like. Can someone offer advise as to
> the type of roads that I will be able to use; prevailing winds (don't like to spend all the time
> beating against a headwind..), estimated distance and terrain (hilly, flat, a mix, etc..). From
> rough calculations is looks like 300-350 miles so I would be hoping to do it in 5 days averaging
> 60 miles/day or so..(assuming that head winds are not a factor).
>

One possibility which takes in minor routes where available is 360 miles, stopping at East
Grinstead, (heading into the west side of Central London), Wendover, Gloucester,
Sennybridge/Llandovery. That was the first attempt using route finding software!

Second attempt, avoiding London, is 370 miles, stopping at East Grinstead, Sutton Scotney
(Winchester), Gloucester and Sennybridge/Llandovery. Since the route is likely to take one across
the Downs, the Cotswolds and around the Brecon Beacons it is not likely to be flat.

You are looking at 75 miles/day.

The shortest road distance is 320 miles, including vast distances on motorway.

Gary

--

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For contact via email use my real name with an underscore separator at the domain of CompuServe.

 

[Anonymous]

"Gary Knighton" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> On 14 May 2003 04:53:34 -0700, contributor Tonto had scribed:

Gary, what is it with you and your time-shifting software? Posts from you seem to often be about a
month after the original...

cheers, clive

 

[Gary Knighton]

On 14 May 2003 12:44:52 -0700, contributor Tonto had scribed:
> Actually you're right..it's Calais/Dover; the other option is Zeebruge or Rotterdam to Hull, and
> then cross country from Hull to Pembroke, though that looks like a longer ride cross country. Any
> thoughts on that one..?
>

Harwich - Pembroke Dock, 324 miles shortest route including motorways.

Avoiding motorways (334 miles), the route takes one across North London. However, a route of 332
miles can be had using quieter roads using Buntingford (Herts), Banbury, Great Malvern/Hereford and
Llandovery as stopping points making an average of less than 70 miles/day.

Hull - Pembroke Dock, is surprisingly enough shorter in distance (303 miles by road including
motorway) than the other two suggestions. 322 miles using Blyth, Leek/Ashbourne, Church Stretton and
Builth Wells/Llnadovery as stopping points. The hillier parts include the Peak District, Malvern
Hills and the Brecon Beacons.

Hull - Liverpool - Dublin - Roslaire (251 road miles), stopping at York/Knaresborough,
Clitheroe/Blackburn, Ferry/Dublin,
Co.Carlow/Co.Wicklow. Offering about 55 miles/day. The route across the Pennines and Wicklow
Mountains.

Gary

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For contact via email use my real name with an underscore separator at the domain of CompuServe.

 

[Gary Knighton]

On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 13:09:18 +0100, contributor Clive George had scribed:
> Gary, what is it with you and your time-shifting software? Posts from you seem to often be about a
> month after the original...
>

I am just a little behind the time, you know!

I did check the original for when the info is required, in this case September, just to make sure it
is still usable by the OP.

Gary

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