Local knowledge Shepton Mallet/Wincanton Somerset

[robroy]

I put a post up on here about 9 years ago about having to deliver to Wanstrow, but not being able to get under the bridge on the top Shepton Mallet road.
The way in is taking the long route past the showground, through Wyke Champ (past cheese factory) through BRUTON n/bound to Wanstrow.
So I’ve done if numerous times since then… but with varying degrees of difficulties.

Bruton is a ■■■■ nightmare, a 7 and half ton except for artics , with bloody good reason…totally unsuitable ! ,.very narrow., busy,.high buildings either side of narrow road through it, and not for the faint hearted.
(or newbie!.. be warned. )

Nimbys and locals do NOT like artics and they demonstrate that fact both by gestures, and the ■■■■■■■■ ones who deliberately park their cars so you can not get through …(it is like Royston Vasey to these people,.‘‘A local town for local people’’ (google it) )
I sat over 1 hour one day, behind an abandoned parked car…gridlocked the ■■■■ town. …

Anyhoo they have had the streets dug up for a few weeks doing roadworks,.so basically a no go area for artics.

I got THIS route sent to me off the 303 at Mere Wincanton…bear in mind all that area is mostly single track lanes,. (I’m used to that type of road, but ONLY with 100% assurance and guidance.)

So.asever I rang the firm I deliver to and asked their advice.
To be fair they tried to be very helpful to me but I got very vague replies with no real guarantee it was ok, and no verification that there was no low overhanging trees.
So I politely told them I would not be chancing it…(no desire to be on you tube getting craned out of a lane no bigger than a footpath.

So after all that …The question is.to anybody who is familiar to area…
Is it actually possible (and doable) with a full.length 14 9 high artic to join the 359 into Wanstrow?
I aint bothered about doing unsuitable narrow roads AS LONG as it is actually POSSIBLE.btw

I have been down that B road before from Frome to Wincanton, and there are at least 3 turns to go to Kilmington… so which one is it?
Anybody got any PRECISE direction steps, landmarks etc, and instructions for that route?

Thanks.

[dozy]

Do you need that height tri , I would often in stobart days get a ht 15 ft 6 when the load could of been put on a xet/ tet 13 ft 1 or even a txt / ct at 14 6
All I can remember round that area , picking up out of Gregory’s / cider place Shepton mallet , aig cheddar area was the problems in villages on some routes passing other lorries , pain

[robroy]

dozy:
Do you need that height tri , I would often in stobart days get a ht 15 ft 6 when the load could of been put on a xet/ tet 13 ft 1 or even a txt / ct at 14 6
All I can remember round that area , picking up out of Gregory’s / cider place Shepton mallet , aig cheddar area was the problems in villages on some routes passing other lorries , pain

The bridge is 13 9 from memory doze,.all our trailers are higher than that,…and I dont want to be taking a flat down there just for one drop out of about 10,.as it is all assorted sized parts pieces and boxes I carry, which would be a pain in the ■■■■ to keep strapping down.

I know what you mean about Cheddar area,.I often take that road doing drops between Wells and Draycott farms…as you say a pain.

[snudger]

Oddly enough that’s the only other place I go to every week: see recent post: trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewto … 2&t=175332

Yes, I remember your earlier post Mr Roy. Last week my Brutonian customer said that the main street would be closed on Thursday (my delivery day) but it wasn’t, still pretty bad though as it’s pretty much non-stop traffic still. It was supposed to be and I assume it was totally closed from Friday when the only access allowed would be disabled badge holders who would have to perform a multi point turn.

Anyhoo, whatever you might do, don’t go via Upton Noble, narrow roads with 90 degree turns and I think there’s a weak railway bridge too. I would say, if you are coming up from the A303, that route of yours is probably the best. There’s a narrow bit in Kilmington Common where you don’t want to meet anything (I’ve had the usual people incompetent at reversing their car a few yards there), it’s signed off that B road (also Alfred’s Tower), but the most problematic bit would be, to avoid Bruton totally, taking that Socks Lane by North Brewham. I’ve never gone up there as I know to not try such short cuts and as usual any road with Lane in its name is to be treated with suspicion, but it looks OK for a single track road apart from it’ll possibly be busy with people using it as a diversion. Coming back, I’m not sure if that road going into Bruton is closed so you might want to try that but that’s another risk. There are a lot of roadworks about at the moment it seems, particularly in Bruton. If you were coming from the North, I would go via Gare Hill which is OK, don’t try Witham Friary either.

[bone_shaker]

Robroy, if you are after a bite to eat, it’s no problem to park an artic in the car park
at Dobbies garden centre, Mendip Avenue , Shepton Mallet, nobody has ever said anything to me, they do a good breakfast and the restaurant shuts at 15.00 for hot meals.

Failing that, park there and walk to Crown industrial estate, there’s a decent hot food van called Meal Machine, a lot of drivers park by the van and there is a massive turning circle at the end of the road if the road is full ,if you do park there to get some food.

I don’t think the Nunney Catch truckstop is no longer open, in between Frome and Nunney.

[the_nodding_donkey]

i used to collect milk from a farm near North Brewham. We used to cut across Drully Hill, and past Kilmington to the B3092 to the 303. We picked it up with a single axle trailer artic though, so not a full size. We had to go this way, because we were not to go through Bruton…

Not been down that way for a fair while ( usually go straight down from Shepton to Wyke, yep, the cheese factory ), the good burghers of Maiden Bradley still haven’t got their 7,5t weight limit then? . They hated us cutting across from the A303, turning of onto the High Street, and taking the back road to the A362 via Newbury and Longleat… in our 44t artics . Anything to shave 5 minutes of the run

[robroy]

Bone Shaker:
Robroy, if you are after a bite to eat, it’s no problem to park an artic in the car park
at Dobbies garden centre, Mendip Avenue , Shepton Mallet, nobody has ever said anything to me, they do a good breakfast and the restaurant shuts at 15.00 for hot meals.

Failing that, park there and walk to Crown industrial estate, there’s a decent hot food van called Meal Machine, a lot of drivers park by the van and there is a massive turning circle at the end of the road if the road is full ,if you do park there to get some food.

I don’t think the Nunney Catch truckstop is no longer open, in between Frome and Nunney.

Cheers bud…always up for a decent brekkie.
What about overnight parking in Shepton?
Anywhere near to facilities that is relatively safe?

[bone_shaker]

The best place to park overnight is on Crown industrial estate BA4 5QQ, as previously mentioned if its full , the turning circle is ok to spin it.

There is a good dine in or takeaway fish and chip shop if you walk towards the town centre opposite the pub, they serve alcohol with the meal.
Or head further in to the centre, a good Indian restaurant and a few pubs, Costa and Tesco supermarket is available.

There is a slip road behind the B&M and Willmotts transport warehouse but I recommend reversing in from the main road.

Another option is the slip road by Tesco on Station Road , free parking.
Or Commercial Road car park that allows HGV parking up to 15 hours per day.
Toilet available and Subway and Greggs is nearby.

[bone_shaker]

Or overnight in Frome at the Cattle Market car park, HGV’s are permitted, free toilets.
Ignore the weight limits signs on all entry points to Frome as they are never enforced and you are allowed access to park up anyway.

There’s an excellent Chinese restaurant called Dragon Pearl,a Cordero Lounge in the Westway shopping precinct and the cheapest cinema in the UK at £4 per ticket, bar available there too.
Cctv in the car park and no bother.

[robroy]

Thanks for those mate,.I’ll keep them noted for future .

[njl]

Bone Shaker:
I don’t think the Nunney Catch truckstop is no longer open, in between Frome and Nunney.

I used it last year, has it gone recently?

[bone_shaker]

I am not too sure but I haven’t seen the doors open this year.

[8wheels]

Just to slightly hijack this thread,

I’ve got a job in Peasdown st. John near Radstock on Monday coming from Essex.

I know that bath is a no go, so it’ll be up from the A303. Is Frome Ok on the a362? Or will I have to avoid the place and detour round it?

I’ll be in an 18m wag and drag.

It should be just about possible out and back in day but I’d rather not eat time up getting blocked somewhere. I don’t mind nights out but not interested in doing one an hour from home because I’ve run out of time!

Any advice would be welcome, thanks

[snudger]

Yes, I would say your plan is probably for the best. You can’t go through Bath from the North if over 18t and there are numerous 7.5t limits in and around it. However, if you are Euro 6 compliant then I would possibly be tempted to go through Bath from the South: A303, A36, A367 avoiding any other restrictions. I wouldn’t recommend trying any shortcuts along that route. The more direct and slightly better route overall is as you planned. If somehow under 12" 9’ then follow the recommended HGV route to Radstock (via the B3090) as there is a 7.5t limit (apart from access) on the A362 going into Frome which shouldn’t prevent you from using it if needs be. That would require a right turn off the A362 just before you reach the A361 Frome bypass. Good luck getting round in 1 day.

[bone_shaker]

You can access Radstock and PSJ in any size lorry if using Frome,as said , there’s a 7.5 ton weight limit but that’s only for the town centre transiting through it, access is allowed to get to the A362 to PSJ by exiting the Frome bypass on the A361.

On the route allowed,you don’t get near the town centre.

I would not use Iron Mill Lane at Oldford as there is a low bridge.

As also said there’s the 18 ton weight limit on Cleveland Bridge if approaching Bath from the north but access to the west of Bath is allowed if approaching from the south via the A36 then using Lower Bristol Road in Bath to access the A4 and the A367 to PSJ.

Or alternatively use the M4 , exit the M32, exit Junction 1 of the M32 to use the ring roads to the A4 to Keynsham and Saltford to the A362 to PSJ.

[8wheels]

Thanks for help which I missed before doing it! , I got to Frome from Warminster where unhelpfully there are no black freight signs for Radstock. So I went north for the A366 which has 7.5t restrictions, not seeing another option I went through anyway.

A bit tight in one village but otherwise ok. PSJ was a nightmare as load on main road and quite narrow for the 6 buses per hour in each direction!

Return route to Frome was fine and on way back out via Longleat there is a clearly marked freight route for Radstock.

Got back to Essex, 14 hr shift 9h02 driving.

[snudger]

Result!, though I would say for future reference, not that you might go there again but you never know, if you went through Norton St. Philip, the locals don’t like HGVs passing through their village (they have a very ancient pub there BTW) and have been known to collar transgressors in a Bradford-on Avon stylee (there is always someone there to get a nasty fine issued).

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-29934540

[bone_shaker]

If exiting the A36 at Brown Shutters, on the A366 before getting to Norton St Phillip there’s a homemade lorry ban sign and a cctv image on it warning of the weight limit and reporting to the police.

It’s not really a police issue as it’s Trading Standards that use the weights and measures act for prosecution.

There’s another sign if exiting the A362 to use the A366 to drive through NSP if in the Buckland Dinham area.

Both NSP and Hinton Charterhouse have been anti lorry for 50 years as years ago there used to be a big chicken processing factory in HC, the locals hated it because of the foul smell of the fowl and the 24 hour lorry movements, so very suspiciously a fire started in four different locations and the factory was no more.

Workers on early morning shifts or full day and night shifts then had to take a minibus to the sister company in Brackley, a good few hours drive away.

[8wheels]

Yes I went through Norton St.Philip and it was a bit tight.

Trouble is way from Warminster does not (unless I missed it) show black freight route for Radstock if you head up A36 to Frome market. Assuming the whole area was a blanket 7.5t I ended up going through.

The road back to Frome was clearly signed and on way back out I noticed signs with freight route on.

Luckily I’ll not be going back as it a collection, I was busy when the items went there so someone got booked.

Thank you for the advice though.

[bone_shaker]

I wouldn’t worry about going through NSP as the cctv fine is just a sign made by a bored retired military officer with too much time on his hands in my opinion and I have never seen any weight limit prosecutions in the local paper( online).

Oddly enough there is a 18 ton weight limit from the Warminster bypass towards Frome via Cley Hill but in the other direction there is no weight limit at all, 44 ton is no problem that direction.
There is no reason for a weight limit in Corsley as it’s perfectly acceptable for all size vehicles.