A quick trip up in the tethered balloon at Leeds Castle to a height of 120m revealed a panorama of the surrounding Kent countryside including the M20 at/around Junction 8.

On a sunny October afternoon, I was driving through the lanes of Kent when I found myself driving along an unclassified road that goes under the M2 Bottom Pond Viaduct. This viaduct about 1 to 2 miles east of J5 comes third on the M2 structure list after the Medway Bridges and the Stockbury Viaduct.

For the first time in several years I returned today to the unfinished and also never-to-be finished Hooley Interchange at the northern end of the M23.
This time I was not alone, I was with the man from Channel 4 who was interested in filming both me and the bridge to nowhere for a short film - he is seen lurking and working in several of the photos.
These photos cover all aspects of the unfinished junction including the 'bridge-to-nowhere' and the last mile north of the M25.

Enter when ready.....

The Date - Saturday 26th April 2008
The Place - Great Western, Sun Street, Wolverhampton.

It was when SABRE paid its annual visit to Wolverhampton for its Annual General Meeting and Get-Together. A bit of a mapfest all round, really.......

A trip as a passenger, and with a camera, through the A2 Widening works in North Kent, The road partly being widened online and partly on a new alignment.
The photos were taken in Feb 2008 when the road was being closed over three weekends to allow the demolition of an overbridge and the erection of sign gantries.

The new Service Area off J11 of the M20: Stop 24 Services and Port Early Arrival. Original photos were taken days after opening, and later photos a month afterwards

The bypassed Medway Services on the M2 has seen busier days. It is still on the M2 (of course) but the majority of Channel Ports traffic now uses the M20. This was a "busy" Sunday afternoon. (Taken on a Nokia 6120 cameraphone)

Part of the January 2007 SABRE Awayday visit was a trip to the A14 Orwell Bridge - one of the most spectacular modern river bridges in the UK.
Except we looked at it from underneath - the best place to appreciate its grace and beauty

SABRE, at their January 2007 Awayday at Copdock near Ipswich, discover there IS a motorway in Suffolk. At least there was for 10 minutes on a Saturday afternoon.
I think the chickens in the road may have believed us, the local learner drivers may not have been so sure.
(taken on a Nokia 6120 cameraphone)

Annual meeting and gathering of the Society of All British Road Enthusiasts.
Great Western public house, Sun Street, Wolverhampton, 14th April 2007.

A new junction layout with shiny new gantry signs has been spotted in Kent

Another southern SABRE roadtrip. This time it was West Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire. Sadly, the camera stayed in its case more than it should have done. Still, here are 10 snaps to prove to the doubting Sabristi that a road trip actually did happen.

The new dual carraigeway Sheppey Crossing opened to traffic on Monday 3rd July 2006. This completes the full upgrade to the A249 between the M2 and Sheerness. It replaces the 1959 Kingsferry Bridge, which was a bottleneck on and off the Isle of Sheppey, and freqently lifted to allow shipping to pass underneath. The old bridge is now relegated to unclassified status but remains open as an alternative to the new bridge, a local route, and also for the railway which crosses the Swale at that point.

Also have look at the collection taken in February 2005 - "A249 Sheppey Way & Kingsferry Bridge". This shows the bridge and approaches in early stages of construction.

From an offhand remark in the SABRE Chat Room grew an idea.........
The M2 Medway Bridge has a cycle/footpath across it next to the coastbound carraigeway on the 1963 bridge. Today I walked the Medway Bridge and photographed it from all angles. If you wish to do the same (the general views are superb) then it is best to park on the unclassified road on the Borstal side.
The Medway Bridge opened in 1963 and carried the D2M M2 (plus a footpath) across the River Medway. The original bridge has recently gained two 'friends'.
Firstly (but not by much) came the high-speed railway (Channel Tunnel Rail Link) bridge in 2002, and following very shortly afterwards came the second M2 bridge in 2004 with the widening of the M2 between J1 & J4.
The original bridge carries the D4 coastbound carriageway, plus a cycle and footpath. The new M2 bridge carries the londonbound carraigeway.

Five SABRE members and a VW Passat started out from Redhill at 9.45 and returned at 6.30pm. On the way round Sussex, we took in Hartfield (Winnie-The-Pooh country), Ashdown Forest, Lewes, Brighton Bypass, Shoreham Elevated Junction, Ditchling Beacon, Washington (Sussex!!), and then a quick buzz back up the A24, A264, & A23 back to Redhill.
More a scenic tour than a road trip, but very enjoyable...

Date: Saturday 15th October 2005
Time: 10.30am to 5pm
Starting Point: Ashford Station, Kent
Mission: Four members of SABRE take a Road Trip around Kent

33 road and general pictures from the day in this collection.

Following a conversation with a fellow member of SABRE about a Redhill bypass built by Canadian troops in WW2, we both set out to find what evidence we could.
The bypass was built in matter of weeks and stretched from the A25 at Nutfield to the A23 at Salfords and was only ever used for military purposes.
After WW2 the road was abandoned and only the improved section of an existing lane was left for use by the public; the new build section being left to decay unused.
Near Nutfield we found the evidence....

29/12/2005 - I now have received (and published in this album with permission) seven photos from the other member of SABRE (Chris Evans, but not THE Chris Evans) who was the inspiration behind this visit, so the road can be seen from his viewpoint as well.

A short photo description of Britains only toll-road Service Area.
Only opened in January 2004, it baosts full service facilities: Wimpy, Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Shop, Arcade, a travel hotel, and "Massager Chairs".
Not forgetting the loos, of course......

I had spent the night there following the SABRE Awayday & AGM, and these photos were taken on misty Sunday morning following a thunderstorm the night before.

On Saturday 16th April I was a passenger on a trip to Yorkshire. Naturally I had my digi-camera with me and recorded bits and pieces on the way - including a comprehensive portrait of the new A1(M) northbound from Fairburn temporary link to the M1.

The sunny afternoon of Sunday 6th February saw me and my camera on the A249 Sheppey Way to look at what is there, and what progress has been made on the new bridge.
The new bridge is due to open during Summer 2006.


**STOP PRESS** The new Sheppey Crossing opened to traffic on Monday 3rd July 2006. Have look at the "A249 and New Sheppey Crossing" collection to see how the road looked 5 days after being opened.

If you don't like what really exists, then plan your own!! Also used as stress-relieiving aid, here are some of my doodles.

An often overlooked corner of the motorway network - the M2. This is a collection of photos of the section between Stockbury and Brenley Corner. Most of the structures are original from the early 60's, and some of them are fairly impressive. Included are photos of the Stockbury and Bottom Pond viaducts.

Opened in 1977 (hence the name), the road provides a dramatic entrance or finale to the UK - depending on your direction.
The road, essentially part of the A2 Dover Bypass, runs down a valley in the cliffs and then shoots out over the edge of the cliff, performs a 180 degree turn to the right, and comes down to a sea level roundabout all on an elevated viaduct over the docks.
The road has a 30 mph limit and at least 3 escape lanes.
Here is a selection of photos of the elevated section.

As part of the SABRE Awayday 0n 17th July, there was a short roadtrip exploring all corners of the Westway. Taken from the back seat of a Renault 5, here is a small portrait of Westway - part of the ill-fated London Motorway Box project of the 60's and early 70's.

The SABRE Summer Awayday took place in West London on Saturday 17th July 2004 at the Metropolitan in Westbourne Park which is in the shadow (almost) of the A40 Westway.

The latest SABRE (see link on front page) Awayday and AGM took place at the Great Western in Sun Street, Wolverhampton. A beautiful sunny day and maps..............

At the northern end of the M23 is J7, where the motorway ends and becomes the narrow A23 into London.
Original plans took the M23 as far north as Streatham and J7 was laid out in readiness. A bridge was built that would have taken M23 traffic over the northbound A23. 30 years on it only serves to let rabbits cross above all London-bound traffic.

I managed to find access to the top of the bridge and took a set of photographs.

The other unused M23 bridge at Hooley is private property and contains a works compund for the M25 (1 mile to the south).

Please also see the general collection of pictures depicting the half-finished J7 at Hooley.

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29-12-2005: 4 pictures received from Chris Evans, another member of SABRE, who accompanied me on a second visit to the M23 site at Hooley. With his permission, I have added these to the collection. He thought it might be good to include me in the photos - can't think why?

In 1975 the half-finished Hooley Interchange opened to traffic. It has been half-finished ever since....
During the 1990's the M23 Northern Extension to Streatham was formally abandoned leaving the Hooley Interchange a shadow of what it should have been.

On a damp, grey Easter Saturday in 2004, I took myself and my digi-camera to Hooley (before most people were awake) to provide a better portfolio of pictures.
I have also included 4 pictures in this collection taken and published previously. They'll be the sunny ones.....

Look also for a separate collection labelled M23 Abandoned Bridge. I gained access up onto the northernmost unused M23 bridge at Hooley and took a few pictures. I thought them worthy of their own collection.

Where else can I put these......

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NEW FOR JAN 2008

2 photos of an intriguing combination of a low railway bridge and level crossing. You can use either to get across the railway - which would you choose?

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NEW FOR MAY 2007

4 photos of a recently discovered section of abandoned A256 in East Kent, plus 1 of its replacement.

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PREVIOUSLY IN 2006

A photo of a pre-Worboys sign on the B2067 in Kent
(APRIL 2007 - This sign has now disappeared, presumed nicked!!)

3 photos of a genuine D1 Dual Carraigeway Country Lane near Bluebell Hill in Kent.

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plus...

The junction of the A303 & A344 at Stonehenge

An 'odd shot' of a gantry in Leeds taken in January 2004.

An 'arty' photo of the M2 at Sunset in September 2001 - one of my first digital road photos

3 photos of the new Polegate Bypass

2 photos of a sunny & jam-free M25 near Reigate Hill

A metric direction sign in the Uk. No, really!!!

2 photos of the Charing Northern Bypass. Classic 3 lane layout, quite possiby the sole survivor in Kent.

My grand road tour of May 2003 included the M65 (in a separate collection), plus the A56, M60, & A580. Only taking photos when safe, here is the rest of the trip...

In May 2003 I was in the NW region for my work. One evening rather than sitting bored in my hotel room, I took a little tour. Here is my trip along the great M65.

From the depths of my albums I have unearthed several old photos of roads and scanned them. They are all of the M25..........

There is picture of a deserted M20 at Junction 3.
There is a collection of pictures of the M25 between J8 and J10 taken on the day it opened from the passenger seat of bemused friends Landrover.
There is a deserted M25 at J7 with the M23.
There is a couple of pictures of the M25 under construction between J3 & J4 taken late in 1985.

The roads were so empty then..........

On the way home from the SABRE January Awayday, I took some pictures at the bottom of the M11, the Blackwall Tunnel, and the defunct (no longer a motorway) A102(M) Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach.

Taken from the drivers seat, the quality is not perfect.

An icy day, air temperature around 1C, in January 2003 saw me standing on the overbridge that spans Chevening Interchange in Kent. My camera in hand.....

These photos are of the 2 interchanges in the northern section of the M23. The Merstham Interchange is the 4 level-stack interchange with the M25. A lot of money was spent and land taken.

Imagine how it could have been: Shall we take the M25 round to the M1, or how about heading up the M23 to the M15 (Ringway 2) and going that way? Such was the planners imagination.

All we have now is: Shall we pop up the mile of motorway to the shambles of the A23 merge and crawl into London?