• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Alternative Route to Towers needed!

nikfonso

nikfonso

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Oblivion > Smiler > Nemisis > 13 > Sonic > Rita > Air
Hey everyone!

Right, odd request here but i need a alternative route to Alton Towers for when i travel up to scarefest next month!

Why? Well i'm taking my daughter to Towers for 3 days (you may have seen my other post recently about scarefest and fastrack tickets etc) and but it's a complete surprise for her as it's a present for her birthday (and mine as we're born on the same day :) ). Now this will be her 4th time to Towers (3rd time with me) so she knows the familiar route we take all too well so i need to get her 'off the scent' a little! Now we're from Essex so we go the usual route via the M1, passed the huge JCB factory which has the giant digger statue things outside then through the town of Alton, up and down the big hill before we get to Towers.

Now i'm going to tell her that we're going somewhere near Alton Towers because of course she's going to see lots of signs for 'Alton Towers' but i was wondering if there's a route around the back (or top) of Towers that we can take so that we avoid the usual give-a-way sites (JCB factory and the Alton village etc)? Oddly we went down a road yesterday in Brentwood which looked very similar to the hill-y approach road to Towers and she mentioned it being simialr to the road near Alton Towers!

If anyone could that would be great!
 
It adds a little onto your journey, however if you continue down the A50 (instead of turning off right which leads down past JCB) then you can come in ultimately from the other direction (through Cheadle). Link.
 
Alastair said:
It adds a little onto your journey, however if you continue down the A50 (instead of turning off right which leads down past JCB) then you can come in ultimately from the other direction (through Cheadle). Link.
Click to expand...

Ahhhh good shout. Sounds like a decent plan.

Do you know har far the next junction is (for Towers) on the M1 from the northbound side by any chance?
 
If you really wanted to throw her off the scent by completely bypassing the usual towns (Uttox, Cheadle, Stoke, Alton Village, etc) you could always head up the M1 to junction 25, then keep following the A52 through Derby and off to Ashbourne. It would take you to Alton from completely the opposite direction, heading in from the Peak District, which would make brilliant cover (Tell her you're all going away to Buxton or somewhere for a hiking weekend or similar! There's plenty of ways to cover your tracks.). You then go around Ashbourne, past Mayfield, and up onto the top of the hills before dropping onto the B5417. This brings you into the park through Farley Village rather than through Alton, and there's also only a little signage (2-3 after Derby). Here's the map!

If you're feeling particularly adventurous you can turn off into Mayfield and follow the B5032 to Back Lane, before heading down Waste and Wooton Lanes. This way brings you out on that little road right next to the park entrance, and you have no idea that the park is there until you turn into the entrance right on your left at the end! It's quite scenic with the woods and lakes, but certainly not one for the faint hearted. Once you get onto Back Lane it's single track roads with high verges. I often take it as a shortcut to avoid the main roads where the queues are, and it's certainly the most stealthy, having hardly any signs once you leave Mayfield. Another map for you!

You would only really have to go one further junction up the M1 (I assume you use 24A for the A50 usually?). It may add a couple of miles onto the trip (10-15 minutes at most), but it's easily the best route if you want to have minimum signage, a good cover story, and avoid all the usual waypoints :)

(Source: 20 years of living just off Junction 26!)
 
Ian you're a star and a big help.

I think you've answered my question perfectily!
 
Was just trying to find another route but once you get around stoke your kind off going to give it away unless you go out of your way and after that drive from Essex
 
The best way in is via Ashbourne, Mayfield and when you get to Ellastone take the right turning after the Duncolme Arms, Marlpit lane(very small single track road).
This eventually brings you out on to Wooton Lane next to AT, all the signs point the other way so you would never guess from this route.
You won't see the resort until the front gate.
 
Defiantly Ashbourne. As it is a drive for me. As I literally spend most of the journey looking at the houses and praying for that lottery win.
 
Just remove all the signs leading to the park. Not only will it be a surprise for your daughter, but you will pretty much have the park to yourself! :p
 
Going the Junct 25, Derby, Ashbourne way would be best, its all signposted from the M1, all the way through Derby, Ashbourne, etc
 
Another way is come off the A38 about 6 miles past J25 but someone else will have to tell you which way to go after that (it avoids Derby).
 
Was wondering did you manage to get there without her finding out ???
 
Ian said:
If you really wanted to throw her off the scent by completely bypassing the usual towns (Uttox, Cheadle, Stoke, Alton Village, etc) you could always head up the M1 to junction 25, then keep following the A52 through Derby and off to Ashbourne. It would take you to Alton from completely the opposite direction, heading in from the Peak District, which would make brilliant cover (Tell her you're all going away to Buxton or somewhere for a hiking weekend or similar! There's plenty of ways to cover your tracks.). You then go around Ashbourne, past Mayfield, and up onto the top of the hills before dropping onto the B5417. This brings you into the park through Farley Village rather than through Alton, and there's also only a little signage (2-3 after Derby). Here's the map!

If you're feeling particularly adventurous you can turn off into Mayfield and follow the B5032 to Back Lane, before heading down Waste and Wooton Lanes. This way brings you out on that little road right next to the park entrance, and you have no idea that the park is there until you turn into the entrance right on your left at the end! It's quite scenic with the woods and lakes, but certainly not one for the faint hearted. Once you get onto Back Lane it's single track roads with high verges. I often take it as a shortcut to avoid the main roads where the queues are, and it's certainly the most stealthy, having hardly any signs once you leave Mayfield. Another map for you!

You would only really have to go one further junction up the M1 (I assume you use 24A for the A50 usually?). It may add a couple of miles onto the trip (10-15 minutes at most), but it's easily the best route if you want to have minimum signage, a good cover story, and avoid all the usual waypoints :)

(Source: 20 years of living just off Junction 26!)
Click to expand...
That's the way I always go
 
Wooton Lane is probably the sneakiest route but for pure theatre, I prefer the slightly longer Farley route. There's nothing quite like seeing the towers silhouetted against the treeline, emerging through the morning mist. It's something that I feel most visitors miss out on by taking the Alton route.
 
I drove from Cardiff to Alton (3 hours) and told my daughter that we were driving her mum to a job interview. I told her to pick some songs for Spotify as we got to the usual suspects (JCB Factory etc...). It was a school day and we made her wear her uniform and prepacked the car the night before. She was so preoccupied making the playlist for the return journey, I got to the enchanted village before she noticed the hotel. She was so happy that we didn't have to drive back to Cardiff.
 
I am usually coming from the other direction through Leek but I would carry on the M1 to the A52 and follow that up through Ashbourne to the peak district. Pretty much runs parallel to the A50 and then just follow the back roads south from the A52 to Alton Towers. Theres really not much in it in terms of distance, if anything the A52 is a little bit closer to AT than the A50. I always take that road because I enjoy the drive through the peaks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top