This is a long, geeky and probably very dull post, but some of you might find something interesting in it…
I got back last night from a great road trip. I live in Ilkeston Derbyshire and had to go to Swanage in Dorset yesterday so I went via an overnight with family in Hungerford, Berkshire. I hate motorway tedium so try to minimise them, so came down the M1 (necessary evil) to junction 18 onto the A5 south to Towester and onto the A43. past Silverstone and to the M40 butrather than joining the motorway, straight over onto the B430 to join the A34 north of Oxford. Rather than taking that all the way to Newbury I went off at the Botley interchange onto the A420 for a bit and then onto the A338 all the way down to Hungerford. The bit of the A338 between Wantage and the M4 is great fun, if a bit bumpy and pitted in spots.
Continuing down the A338 through Tidworth, and eventually via a small diversion onto the A346 past Old Sarum and into Salisbury. Skirting the edge of town to pick up the A354 to Blandford Forum, round the town to the A350 towards Poole. Just after Spetisbury I turned off onto another joyous B-road, the B3075 (far too short - boooo) to hit the A31. Fortunately this joined up with another bit of the B3075 at Winterborne Zelston (where you can find Dorsets favourite Pub apparently) and all the way into Wareham, onto the A351 to Corfe Castle. This road does go all the way into Swanage, but just by the castle itself I turned left onto yet another brilliant B-road, the B3351 turning right onto a minor road to drop down into sunny Swanage.
I got back with a total of 431.9 miles covered, and used 53.69 litres of fuel. I have a mk2.5 1.8l auto, so if my calculations are correct I got 36.57mpg over the trip. Oh yeah, and a whole lot of fun…!!