Elephant and Castle Advice Please

[benborp]

If anyone has an intimate knowledge of the routes bypassing Elephant and Castle I'd be very grateful if they would advise me.

My wife is interested in cycling in to work from time to time. There are only two three obstacles, Crystal Palace, the Elephant and Castle and the behaviour of other road users (the first and last time we cycled home together we were egged from a passing car).

Crystal Palace will in time be overcome with less effort and swearing. What would be useful is if anyone here has recommendations on the best bypass of E&C. Our preferred route would be from Walworth Road to Southwark Bridge Road. The emphasis would be on as conflict free passage as possible with a well defined route that is easily followed if it is a dedicated cycle path. She does not react well to farcilities.

Thanks.

 

[Origamist]

Mmm, I know from the NKR you can go Meadow Row, Rockingham St, across the lights at Newington Causeway then on to Southwark Bridge Road.

On Walworth Road can you go down Hampton St, over the lights at Newington Butts, along the path to Brook Drive, then down Oswin St, over the lights at St Georges Rd, then Prior St (?), over the lights at London Road, then onto Ontario St, this brings you out at the Junction with Southwark Bride Road.

As, I'm near there, I'll try the route this luncthtime.

 

[dellzeqq]

This is not easy. I'm assuming that she is going to the City. There are two cycle routes, one to the east, and one to the west. The east one involves crossing the New Kent Road on a ped crossing. The west one comes off Newington Butts at Churchyard Row and loops round to Southwark Bridge Road. It's not a lot of fun, but it does get used a lot, which means that it doesn't feel totally crap.

By-pass the lethal Elephant. Except you can't

...The long-promised safer-friendlier redesign of the twin vortices that are the Elephant and Castle roundabouts are not even halfway there. Conversion of the south roundabout's detested, stinking, sewer-underpasses to overground pedestrian-friendly crossings won't begin until Christmas. And there isn't even a timetable for redesigning the north roundabout, where cyclist Meryem Ozekman was killed by a lorry last month.

There is a so-called 'cycle by-pass', but it's worse than useless. Especially just now, thanks to these roadworks that have just gone up opposite Churchyard Row. No notices, no alternative routes: just a dumb blockade, a mute testament to council and contracting contempt.

We (the Babe and I) go through the Oval and up Kennington Road and then loop eastwards via Baylis Road before going over Blackfriars Bridge. We do a bit of faffing around on Cornwall Road and Upper Ground, but, to be honest, that may be overdoing it a bit. But...Kennington Road has to be one of the nicest commute roads in London. There are roadworks on Blackfriars Bridge which makes it a pain, but you could simply go east on Union Street and go over Southwark Bridge. Whether the Oval could form part of a Croxted Road, Railton Road, Brixton Road route would work for you I don't know.

 

[benborp]

Cheers guys, we'll be rolling along the Croxted Road/Brixton/Kennington route this afternoon to see how comfortable that feels for her. It's a bit of a loop around Southwark as she works at the Globe at the moment, but as you say the cycling is far more pleasant coming in from that direction. Origamist, thanks for the scouting effort - just as a pointer the kind of thing that dellzegg's picture shows is the kind of thing that gives her rage; that and gin.

 

[Origamist]

On Walworth Road can you go down Hampton St, over the lights at Newington Butts, along the path to Brook Drive, then down Oswin St, over the lights at St Georges Rd, then Prior St (?), over the lights at London Road, then onto Ontario St, this brings you out at the Junction with Southwark Bride Road.

As, I'm near there, I'll try the route this luncthtime.

OK, this wasn't as bad as I had imagined (then again, the 25C heat probably put a rosy tint on the route).

Hampton Street is fine, a bit bumpy, bends to the right, cars parked both sides, but reasonably wide lanes. There are LCN 2/bike stencils here. You then have to cross Newington Butts, on a light controlled cycle crossing. The path is Churchyard Row - it's wide, but there was a Conway flat bed lorry partially blocking it nr Brook Drive and bits of broken glass strewn on the path! Then over Brook Drive along Elliots Row which was fine (you could go Oswin St if you prefer - not a lot in it). You then hang a right into a two way segregated cycle section (about 10m in length bounded by railings) then over St George's Road which is light controlled. It wasn't Prior St, but Princess St - this is a 30m bumpy stretch, but OK. Then another light controlled crossing over London Road. Ontario St was swamped with dozy South Bank Uni students, so beware...

Apart from the poorly maintained sufaces, there are 3 major A roads to cross using this bypass, therefore, if the phasing is against you, it will add time to the journey. It's not my cup of tea, but then again, the E&C gyratories are not much fun either...

I'm giving the route 5 out of 10. Gordon's, not Plymouth gin standard.

 

[Twanger]

I hit the steep bit of the hill up to the Palace 250 yards out from home in the morning. So I say to hell with it, I'm not warmed up, and just push the bike for 50 yards. The Brixton/ Kennington route is the way I go, though I turn off at Lambeth bridge.

I'd suggest Clive road and Rosendale rather than Croxted for pleasantness of cycling. On the way back, Dulwich Wood Avenue and Farquar Road are manageable. Gipsy Hill is not (at least, not to me, yet), but is shorter to push your bike up. But I guess you know that.

 

[benborp]

Thanks everybody.

We had a lovely ride in yesterday going the long way round via Brixton and Kennington. Couple of moments of muppetry exhibited by left hookers but all easily avoided. Her preference seemed to be for making progress rather than quiet routes but we'll look at Twangers ascents on our return scouting trip.