"Earl Purple" wrote:
1. M25, then A40/M40 to Hanger Lane [1], then A406 to Brent Cross,
taking
A41 towards London. Third left (excluding the ones on the sliproad just
as
you join the A41) into Wayside, 2nd left into Armitage Road, straight
across
two sets of lights, and follow the road up to Meadway until Kingsley Way
(about 0.8 miles), then left onto Kingsley Way, straight over the first
set
of lights (A1 junction),

Interesting way to avoid Henlys Corner.

Works superbly though. I've also worked out a near-perfect route going the
other way too, by a bit of trial and error. It takes advantage of the
stationary traffic heading towards the A406 on Golders Green Road by cutting
across it and using the side roads. Basically, from the North Circular just
west of the A10 junction it goes Melville Gardens, Upsdell Avenue/Berkshire
Gardens (the trick is to pick one not too close to the Clockhouse Junction
as that'll be full of rat-runners heading towards the A406), then cut
through to Palmerstone Road, cut through Finsbury Road, end of Nightingale
Road, right onto Bounds Green Road (quite easy as traffic comes in clear
fits and starts). Then head for Dukes Avenue/Queens Avenue, cut out the
East Finchley crossroads using Parkhall/Baronsmere Roads, then The Bishops
Avenue, right onto A1, Winnington Road/Holne Chase/Meadway/Hoop Lane,
straight over Finchley Road, right onto Elmcroft/Beechcroft Avenue, head
down Ravenscroft Avenue to Golders Green Road, right onto that, then left
almost immediately onto Woodstock Avenue, and cut through to the
lesser-known junction of Western Avenue and the A406, and left onto the
A406. Works an absolute treat. And well done to those that stayed awake.

and right at the top onto East End Road, which
leads into East Finchley. Then just follow the A504 through East
Finchley,
Muswell Hill

technically "following" the A504 through Muswell Hill means by-passing
Queens Avenue.

Hornsey,

I use A1 Lyttleton Road/Aylmer Road then left onto A1000 for a few
yards then through Woodside Avenue, Cranley Gardens, The Chine and left
into Park Road before joining the A504 by turning right into Priory
Road.

Makes sense. Hadn't really considered that way before.

2. M25 around to the A10 junction, then A10 towards London, and first
left
towards Enfield Lock - then follow the A1055 past Enfield Lock and
Brimsdown, either picking up the North Circular where you come to it, or
just carry on to Tottenham Hale and go into Walthamstow from there.
Either of those should avoid most of the worst traffic blackspots for
that
journey.

No, you should leave at J24 and go through the A111.

I'd be interested to see if there's much difference between the two. Coming
off at J25 should be relatively easy because of the junction design
(dedicated lane for J25 - or have they changed it yet, for the greater good
of through traffic flow?), and obviously traffic heading towards London and
all the Brimsdown industrial estates is all coming in the opposite direction
so you'd be against the main flow of traffic. Obviously the A111 has that
going for it as well, but I'd choose the A1055 route myself.

[1] You could go A30/A312, or M4/A312, but you're probably as well just
staying on the M25 if you're starting on it, and if you go A30/A312 the
queues can be a pain coming up to the M4.

There are rat-runs for that too, but the main road is generally faster.
You'd be surprised how often staying on the main road and moving slowly
with the traffic queue is actually faster than the seemingly flowing
alternative routes.

Yup, I'm well aware of that. Thinking about it, though - my main problem in
the past has been the queueing in the left lane heading for the Westbound
M4.

--
"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."