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If anyone has got any recent experience of the roads to the south coast around Salisbury/Blandford Forum ways I’d appreciate your advice.

We’re off to Downshay Farm Swanage next Friday (28^th May) for the Bank Holiday weekend from Swindon with the ‘van.  Whenever we go to the coast for the day we tend to go down the A346 through Marlborough/Tidworth/Salisbury etc but I fear this will be bottleneck next Friday, especially around Salisbury so have come up with other 2 options:

1)       M4 east to Newbury and then south on A34 and thus onto M3/M27/ A31 to Ringwood and the A338 thru to Bournemouth to Poole and onward to Swanage.  This is my least favoured option as it’s a long way round (although I have used it solo and it’s quick).

2)       A346 south thru Malborough/Tidworth and then A303 west to A350 and then south through Shaftesbury/Blandford Forum to Poole and onward to Swanage

We’ve decided not to go over the Sandbanks ferry, again anticipating it will be busy.

Any advice appreciated ….

Hi,

I live in Swanage and personally I would favour option 1.

I have allways found Salisbury and Shaftsburys a nightmare haven driven them on a Friday before.

I would avoid Bournemouth though, I would go A31, then onto then A349 which then takes you back into Poole but misses going through Longham, over the bridge. Then back on the A35/A351, normal route to swanage

Quote: Originally posted by maid020279 on 24/5/2010

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Hi,

 

I live in Swanage and personally I would favour option 1.

I have allways found Salisbury and Shaftsburys a nightmare haven driven them on a Friday before.

I would avoid Bournemouth though, I would go A31, then onto then A349 which then takes you back into Poole but misses going through Longham, over the bridge. Then back on the A35/A351, normal route to swanage

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