Best route Chichester to Barrowden near Oakham and places to visit on route.

Belenus

I have posted this in both Motoring and UK Holidays as there are two rather different questions.

Please post recommendations for either routes or places to visit in either thread.

On Monday we are travelling from Chichester in West Sussex to Barrowden near Oakham in Rutland. We are looking for an interesting place to visit about half way on our route for a few hours and are happy to travel a fair bit further for that.

The AA route planner suggests A3, M25, M1 to J13, A421, A1, A47. 3 hours 1 minute 166 miles. This appears to take a long curve eastwards for the last section.

A more direct route would appear to be M1 to J15 then A45, A43 to Kettering then A6003 and A47. AA says this is 3 hours 24 mins 158 miles.

We have also considered A27, M27, M3 to Winchester, A34 via Oxford and then A41 across to the M1 etc.

We are members of the National Trust and English Heritage but cannot see anywhere on those routes that is open on a Monday that we have not already visited although we have identified a few possibilities for our return trip on Friday.

Can anyone suggest a place on any of those routes. We like visiting Castles, Stately Homes, Wildlife Parks etc.

Also any suggestions for interesting places to visit and things to do around Rutland, We are spending four days in a rented house with two other couples that we holiday with every year. We like good pubs and restaurants, country walks, interesting villages and towns etc.

All comments and suggestions welcome.

Thanks

Brie

Woburn Abbey?  It's about half way along your route.

Never been there myself but it looks interesting

Woburn Abbey - Wikipedia

Belenus

Thanks Brie.

We did visit it many years ago and would have been happy to visit again but unfortunately it is closed at present.

Having spent two years refurbishing Woburn Abbey, we continue to find challenges in the project. In order to make the building watertight for the next century we are now committed to reroofing the Abbey and therefore Woburn Abbey will remain closed until the spring of 2024.

Thanks anyway.

Brie

That explains why I couldn't spot any entrance prices!!!

Not necessarily what you're after but Land's End has a outlook shop in Rutland.  Haven't been there for yonks but I do recommend them for quality clothing.  

lincroft1710

About 7 miles from Barrowden is the town of Stamford. Well worth visiting

shiraz99

Loads of places to visit in and around Rutland when you're there, you've got Rutland Water for a start then Oakham itself, Empingham, Normanton and just over the county border the lovely town of Stamford and of course Burghley Park.

Personally I'd consider a different route, ie, go out toward Southampton and pick up the A34, then A43.

Mutton_Geoff

How about going east up the M23/Dartford and stop off at Duxford (not a stately home but fantastic aviation museum). Or as Shiraz suggests, go west to Southampton, A34, M4, A419 and through the Cotswolds.

Both alternatives add less than an hour to your journey but get you away from the god awful M1.

Belenus

Duxford is a good suggestion although the AA route planner suggests the best route is via the M25 west of London and not east of London as you suggest. From Chichester to Crawley to join the M25 is quite a trek cross country whereas A3 to the M25 J10 is straightforward.

One to consider.

Thanks

Belenus

lincroft1710 said:

About 7 miles from Barrowden is the town of Stamford. Well worth visiting

Thanks.

Is Peterborough worth a visit?

shiraz99

Belenus said:

Duxford is a good suggestion although the AA route planner suggests the best route is via the M25 west of London and not east of London as you suggest. From Chichester to Crawley to join the M25 is quite a trek cross country whereas A3 to the M25 J10 is straightforward.

One to consider.

Thanks

Every other route planner that I just checked, based on current traffic (eg, Google Maps, TomTom, Waze) put the M25 route as the slowest, at around 4 hours instead of the 3 hours you quoted., I guess it all depends on the traffic on the day.

shiraz99

Belenus said:

lincroft1710 said:

About 7 miles from Barrowden is the town of Stamford. Well worth visiting

Thanks.

Is Peterborough worth a visit?

Most definitely, not.