Been a fan of a lot of the DIY and other car shows on the Telly (as you Brits call it). I have noticed on many of them the shows host will be driving a car on British back Roads (no road center line) that look very narrow? Most seem out in the country back roads. Are there that many one way roads there? Or are you just taking your life in your hands? In the states here I know of none like shown over there.
Road question for those over the Pond (UK)
- Thread starter rdm05z4
- Start date
They're not one way roads, just narrow country lanes. There's normally passing places every so often, small cuts into the grass/hedged verges where one car will usually end up reversing into when two cars meet head on. This gives *just* about enough space to squeeze past! You've just gotta hope you don't come up against a wide range rover or something.
To make it extra exciting as you may have seen on tv, the windy roads (never straight for long) are often lined by tall hedges each side making it near impossible to know if anything is coming up in front.
To make it extra exciting as you may have seen on tv, the windy roads (never straight for long) are often lined by tall hedges each side making it near impossible to know if anything is coming up in front.
Google maps can be your friend here - the link below drops you onto a 'normal' Norfolk back road - just click the arrows to drive down it. Ooah and keep a look out for on coming cars and remember we pass on the left side of the road here :lol:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.5643869,0.9885657,3a,75y,157.78h,85.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sL1vUw1vqBf6qC_xf2exVIg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Go have some fun!
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.5643869,0.9885657,3a,75y,157.78h,85.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sL1vUw1vqBf6qC_xf2exVIg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Go have some fun!
North West Surrey
To be fair most roads like that are in the less densely populated parts of the UK - I can't think of any "single-lane with passing places" roads where I live, although there are some fairly narrow single-carriageway roads that get your attention when there is something large coming the other way. 
Mind you I'll always remember going to stay with relatives in Manitoba back in 1977 and discovering that their farm was more than a mile from a surfaced road (the Trans-Canada highway). But despite being a dirt-track it was wide enough for a lane each way, although after heavy rain there used to be some big holes until it got graded! Those conditions and cheap fuel for farmers might explain why everyone used a pick-up most of the time. Still 18 year old me didn't mind driving a 5.7 litre V8 Ford F150 with four on the floor or having over 900 acres to blat around on a trials bike. :lol:
I really didn't want to come home. :roll:
Mind you I'll always remember going to stay with relatives in Manitoba back in 1977 and discovering that their farm was more than a mile from a surfaced road (the Trans-Canada highway). But despite being a dirt-track it was wide enough for a lane each way, although after heavy rain there used to be some big holes until it got graded! Those conditions and cheap fuel for farmers might explain why everyone used a pick-up most of the time. Still 18 year old me didn't mind driving a 5.7 litre V8 Ford F150 with four on the floor or having over 900 acres to blat around on a trials bike. :lol:
I really didn't want to come home. :roll:
Fairly typical of country roads over here, especially once you get off the beaten track. I do love zipping about down them with my American friends in the car, not sure how much they enjoy it!
Does make me chuckle in the 'States when you see a 'Narrow Bridge' sign, you think hell you could fit 2 tanks across that
Does make me chuckle in the 'States when you see a 'Narrow Bridge' sign, you think hell you could fit 2 tanks across that
There's a few YouTube videos of people barrelling down these narrow country lanes and meeting their demise :lol: it makes for great viewing.
I personally don't enjoy driving on them, mainly due to the bum clenching moments when you meet another vehicle, but when they're empty they're great fun.
I personally don't enjoy driving on them, mainly due to the bum clenching moments when you meet another vehicle, but when they're empty they're great fun.
All through the back woods of New England there are mostly 2 lane unmarked wooded lanes which I think are similar to what you all call B roads. We said they were paved deer trails. In my early days I had a TR3 and later a TR4. One thing for sure the cars are smaller in Europe.
If you think are UK back roads are looking a bit tricky don't do a fly drive to New Zealand. My natural habitat in the Z4 is twisty narrow up and down granite lined back lanes. I drive them every day and apart from the odd milk truck or tractor nothing too scary comes the other way. Driving on similar roads on NZ South island there were 18 wheelers coming the other way and you just had to dive on to the grass verge or become road kill. 
Attleborough, Norfolk
enuff_zed said:
I found a wild boar with babies on a back road in the middle of Italy one night last year in the Boxster. Other highlights of Italian back roads include pot holes the size of small bomb craters and the locals driving wherever they fancy (at speed of course, this is italy we’re talking about). Makes a UK back road look positively boring!! ;-)