Sherpa
Free Member
I live and work very close to the A303 which passes by Stonehenge, and as the tourist season is about to begin the dual carriageway section heading south from the Countess Roundabout Amesbury to the Stonehenge Monument will be an absolute nightmare. This is certain from Fridays noon and all day Saturdays. Anyone who took this route over Easter willl be aware of this. I believe the tailback on Thursday afternoon (one day earlier owing to the bank holiday) was about six miles, a long way at one mile per hour.
Anyone intending to use this route to Devon or Cornwall particularly on either of these two days would be advised to use an alternative route if possible, but if you should find this inconvenient then it is possible to bypass the section between the Countess Roundabout and the Stonehenge Monument by following these instructions. This will save you about three miles of sheer frustration. It is a wee bit further to travel but, trust me, you wikll come back onto the A303 about thirty minutes ahead of the guy who was in front of you.
You most likely will be at the start of the hold up well before the Countess Roundabout but at least we can cut three miles out.
So, headinbg south from Andover on the A303 you will eventually come to the Countess Roundabout Amesbury. It is roughly ten miles from Andover and at the bottom of a very steep hill after passing the speed camera, and a large trading estate on your left.
On the approach to the roundabout get into the right hand lane and take the third exit, carry on to the next roundabout and take the first exit, keep heading on through Larkhill Army camp until you are through the built up area marked by the national speed limit sign and travelling past open grass land (actually artillery firing ranges). You then take the next left turn at the cross-roads, head straight on to the T junction and turn right then immediately left (should be signposted Salisbury). Keep on ahead to the next roundabout take third exit and you will be back on the A303.
There will probably be another traffic holdl-up at the next village (Winterbourne Stoke) but this is caused mainly by traffic slowing down at the speed camera. You will at least have bypassed on the major hold-ups on this road
Hope this helps, and have any of you actually been caught in the weekend hold-ups on this particulart stretch of the A303. I would be interested to hear from anyone in the future who used these directions and found them of benefit.
Anyone intending to use this route to Devon or Cornwall particularly on either of these two days would be advised to use an alternative route if possible, but if you should find this inconvenient then it is possible to bypass the section between the Countess Roundabout and the Stonehenge Monument by following these instructions. This will save you about three miles of sheer frustration. It is a wee bit further to travel but, trust me, you wikll come back onto the A303 about thirty minutes ahead of the guy who was in front of you.
You most likely will be at the start of the hold up well before the Countess Roundabout but at least we can cut three miles out.
So, headinbg south from Andover on the A303 you will eventually come to the Countess Roundabout Amesbury. It is roughly ten miles from Andover and at the bottom of a very steep hill after passing the speed camera, and a large trading estate on your left.
On the approach to the roundabout get into the right hand lane and take the third exit, carry on to the next roundabout and take the first exit, keep heading on through Larkhill Army camp until you are through the built up area marked by the national speed limit sign and travelling past open grass land (actually artillery firing ranges). You then take the next left turn at the cross-roads, head straight on to the T junction and turn right then immediately left (should be signposted Salisbury). Keep on ahead to the next roundabout take third exit and you will be back on the A303.
There will probably be another traffic holdl-up at the next village (Winterbourne Stoke) but this is caused mainly by traffic slowing down at the speed camera. You will at least have bypassed on the major hold-ups on this road
Hope this helps, and have any of you actually been caught in the weekend hold-ups on this particulart stretch of the A303. I would be interested to hear from anyone in the future who used these directions and found them of benefit.
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