I passed under that destroyed footbridge approx 30 mins before it was brought down. If the missus had taken any longer getting ready we may have been in trouble.
I work at the Ashford International Truckstop just off of J10A. I can confirm that the new junction was not just because of the Inland Border Force site (although that is part of it), but mainly due to easing of congestion around peak times around the old J10 roundabout. Sometimes in days gone past, it would be gridlocked for ages as the traffic lights were synced badly it seemed. Anyone local to the area would agree with me that when the traffic lights failed and it was a free-for-all, it actually worked better!!!
This is what I’ve just commented. I lived in Ashford for years, J10A had been in the plans for years and the Waterbrook Development was not allowed to progress without the additional junction. I lived in Bridgefield at one point and it could take me up to an hour to get to J10 if there was traffic backing all the way up to the cloverleaf. It was a nightmare. I eventually moved to a lovely Victorian house in South Willesborough so it gave me options of going through Orbital or down Boys Hall if it was rush hour.
Closing the coastbound slip road next to Tesco is ridiculous. Why not just leave it there? You now have to make a 5minute detour via roundabouts and traffic lights to join.. Crazy
Back in the 1970's I lived on a farm opposite the A20 entrance to Brands Hatch, the farm was on both sides of the A20, and ended up with the M20 running through the fields, so now if you find Brands Hatch on the M20 and then go back towards Junction 1 about 1Km you will find a substantial bridge, going between two fields with no roads on either side, this bridge served two purposes, firstly it carries the Kent Gas Main over the M20 and secondly it was built wide enough and strong enough for a combine harvester to cross between the fields on either side, when the M20 was being built they knew the farm would be cut in two and that the Gas Main would need to go over the Motorway, so the team responsible came to see my father and asked what size bridge he would need, he asked that they build something wide enough to take a combine with a 33ft wide cutting bar on it, that is why instead of something wide enough for a footbridge to take the gas main, theres a substantial bridge linking two fields
Being an E-route in a lot of areas got you a lot of EU investment in your road back in the day. The 20 year old road which runs past my house here in the Highlands wouldn't have existed without it.
There are some minimum requirements for things like services, rest areas etc that go along with E-routes too. Although the UK seems to miss the point of decent rest-areas, and instead likes it's truckers to park-up on industrial estates and side-roads overnight.
I was never aware that we were ever part of any E-Routes - yet another EU benefit we had taken for granted. But as the video shows, we also get a new and beautiful lorry-park off the M20 (as if Brexit hadn't turned the actual M20 into a lorry-park of its own). So - yay, Brexit! what a wonderful benefit it has been!
In a previous life I earned my living travelling thousands of miles a week going everywhere from the north of norway to the sweatier parts of italy, and most of the bits in between. So I have a love/hate relationship with the M20, It either meant I was nearly home, or I still had a long way to go. I'm loving your work dude, The abandoned roads series is treat, How about an A1 special some time, there's a LOT of stretches out there that are either disused or down-graded but were once vital parts of the great north road, as a bonus, there's a lot of old road-houses, inns and pubs along the route to make filming that little bit more civilised.
+Auto Shenanigans Found this channel about a week ago and have been wondering how it hasn't been recommended before. Top class videos, great mix of facts and humour with relaxed presentation, the bloopers are comical too. Subscribed
Same here really, hubby came across this channel and we've been working our way around the motorways since. I enjoy the presenting style - and I don't mind the hat! 😆
personally i love ol' Dunge especially on the off season, a great place to relax and gather ones thoughts to the sounds of the waves, it may be a desolate wasteland but that's the appeal for many of us
I remember the old bit of the M20 around Maidstone before it was widened. It was actually hedged and the embankments were a riot of primroses in the spring. All swept away now, of course.
You missed a bit of history. When the London end of the M20 opened it ran from the M25 to the point where the M20 crosses the A20 just south east of West Kingsdown. The rest of the route towards Maidstone took longer at the planning and construction phase due I think to the difficulties crossing the escarpment of the North Downs (which was breached by the steep hill up from junction 3 past junction 2). With this section of the motorway not ready it just ended with a slope down to the A20 and a simple and cheap traffic light controlled junction. This ramp is immediately to the east (left when driving out of London) of the current bridge over the A20. This enabled the full M25 junction to be used prior to the completion of the rest of the M20.
Thanks to the algorithm recognising that this was a channel I didn't know I needed in my life and recommending your 'Secrets of the M1' video to rectify that about a week or so ago, I've subscribed and been having a bit of a binge since. Keep up the good work - I didn't know that Britain's motorway network had so many hidden gems!
I live in Wolverhampton and have spent most of my life sat in traffic on the M6. Seeing all these cars moving on a motorway is alien to me. Science fiction if you try to get to Brum.
Spent my childhood exploring the hills around the Folkestone. Although to be expected to some degree, it's always a tad surreal to see little old Ftown on UA-cam like this, and especially on television. Folkestone harbour appeared as the setting for Tom Scott's video on "non-brewed condiment". Interesting tidbits on the M20, thanks for uploading :)
On the way back to Poland I went on the M20. And from France to Poland we went on the E40 in 2 parts: From France to Belgium and from Germany to Poland. It feels like yesterday. Great video!
6:08 Faaakin' ell!! Look at the lorry queues!!! I drive HGVs and in the past Eurotramping was actually kind of fun to do. You got on the boat, no customs checks, that was it. Queues occurred only a few times a year. These days - every day, certainly on the UK side, it's a ruddy nightmare. I won't touch it.
Great humour, editing, presentation and amazing drone skills. I have binge-watched all the services recently and love it. Have spent many dull hours on M3,M25,M26 and M20. Much kudos for keeping Beanie hat going in these recent hot temps!
Actually, J10A had been in the plan for approximately 20 years along with the Bellamy Gurner scheme that Ashford has recently started to build. (Previous Orbital Roundabout) The inland border facility was not part of the original plans and it was only because of government compulsory purchase that the land there ended up being used. They refused to provide environmental FOI requests after the announcement that it would be built so close to the historic Sevington Church. The building of the IBF only commenced some time after J10A had been completed and required months on months of additional roadworks to redesign the layout to accommodate right turning traffic onto what was previously a segregated omnidirectional dual carriageway without allocation for u-turns or right turns. The original J10 was buckling under pressure, having used the junction daily to get to work it was one of just two points in Ashford that motorists can cross from one side of the motorway to the other. With J10 linking directly to the A2070 bypass built in the 90s to skim Ashford and Hamstreet, finishing at a small roundabout with the A259, all traffic directed to Folkestone/Hastings was via this junction and bypass even if it was often quicker to use J11/Hythe (originally designed as a major junction for a motorway all the way to Brighton).
J10A was built to support the sheer amount of housing being built around Ashford. The Government just opportunistically bought some land earmarked for a new business park near it in 2020 to build the border facility.
Hi John Can you do a series of places that were heavily fought over by the likes of Swampy? Greenham Common, Newbury bypass, all these places need to be seen and explained.
@@AutoShenanigans Coz you are a relatable guy with a drone and a good mate to help out, I think you are ideal for covering these places where a battle went on. Another one is Hamilton Palace, which is an abandoned mansion bigger than Buckingham Palace that is owned by a notable 'crook'. I would also like to see what your drone can see in Gloucestershire, which is home to where all the royals live. What can be seen with a nearby drone? And do they live there just because of the M4? I would also like to see what they did to things like coal mines or former steel or car factories, with the perspective being the roads built.
There's a part of the M3 between J6-7 that has a slip road that just cuts off very shortly after it starts, and then kind of restarts 75m-100m or so up the road with just farmland inbetween, which had been confusing the hell out of me for years. Your channel finally spurred me on to do some research on it. It took quite some time but I found out it was going to be Kempshott Services but ultimately no bids came in that did the location justice, so the plans were shelved. This part of the M3 having been built in the 70s. You probably get these sort of comments often but I'd love to see a video on it. Keep up the good work!
Excellent video 🙌 looking forward to the video on 8 mile stretch that calls itself the m26.. The M20 also has operation brock/stac. Pretty unique. Plus sections between jcts 4 and 7 were used for smart motorway pilots.
Of course we always check for flight restricted areas but yes it's quite surprising sometimes!! We try to keep our distance so as not to annoy anyone :D
My parents used to ferry me down the M20 a lot in the early 80's when it started at the M25 (well the little bit that was constructed and ran between the A2 and the A20) and ended at the A20, West Kingsdown, where upon the traffic used to go from three lanes to one and exit via a long gone junction. There it used to bottle neck and a slow run down the A20 where it joined the M26 at Wrotham Heath which then led on to the M20 past Maidstone.
Interesting stuff. The view from Castle Hill in the other direction towards Dover is worth mentioning ( even though it is on the following A-road). Below Castle Hill to the east are the twin viaducts constructed from hollow concrete section cast on site in a jig with moving sides that would be repositioned to create each unique section. The Channel Tunnel is directly below two support piers and was constructed to take the additional weight at that point. Round Hill Tunnel is next and the northbound exit was cut just a little too high. Travelling at speed you can feel the road surface drop away as you join the viaduct!
I'm loving the Secrets of the Motorway series! Many thanks John, your research is very thorough and I also like your witty delivery style. Can I suggest an urbex series on maybe disused airbases or other interesting places / sites?
Don't come to norfolk If you do a dis-used airbase series, there's too many, although a few of them are quite interesting to petrolheads. Snetterton (race-trrack), Hethel (lotus cars HQ and test-track), Sculthorpe (MOD special driver-training and a bit of rallying/sprint). But most of them are chicken/turkey farms now.
We love a bit of urbex, the forgotten race track series probably features the most urbex, if it's related (loosely) to the automotive world then we're up for it.
I once spent a week working at Upper Heyford, mainly checking over and moving imported cars around, prior to transport to the showroom. My boss was chatting to me as we stood on what he told me was the longest runway in Europe (disused, of course!). I got to drive a Mercedes along it.....
I've lived in and around Maidstone all my life so have spent many an hour on pretty much all of the M20. Seen it change a lot in 20 odd years I've been driving.
I'm one of your new subscribers having not seen your channel previously. I'm working my way through your back catalogue and finding it very enjoyable! How the devil are you, and have you had a good week? Puts a smile on my face every time. Keep up the good work. Cheers from New Zealand.
10A, 2A. It would have been much better if the UK used the American style numbering system where the junctions are numbered based on miles from the start of the motorway. If you're at junction 2 and need to get off at junction 46 you know it's 44 miles to go. No issues when junctions are added when you have that kind of system.
Don't see many comments pointing out the Halo at the end there so I thought I'd say that it's a nice touch, nice little easter egg along with other game music you've done in other videos.
Behind the M25, the M20 (until I learnt to drive) was the motorway I was driven down the most. Many many travels to France to see my family (am half French) over the first 19 years of my life. Either to Folkstone when that was completed, or Folkstone for the train. Ironically, I've only ever driven along it twice since I learnt to drive... I don't think I've gone along it since 2018 so actually... So I've never seen jct 10A. Which, for some reason is weird. The bridge crash happened the day before we were leaving my grandma's in France. Good job it was all cleared up when we got there - it was slow (due to the works), but clear.
Have you looked at the motorway section of the motorway to the North of Ashford. The Ashford bypass route was started before WW2 but the halted. Later completed to become the A20 bypass. The outline of the route can be seen in the 1940 Google Earth image.
Just for accuracy it runs north west to south east (carriageway A) and south east to north west (carriageway B) although when I worked for Area 4 we just said coast bound or London bound . . .😄
Great video, I have used the M20/26 to go to Ashford J10 for 35 years first from Dover >Ashford and now wrotham > Ashford. Don’t mention Operation Brook!!!!!
Nice work John, I'm a recent acolyte (felt appropriate to use that word given the outro music) to the channel and enjoy all things unfinished and mysterious about our road network e.g. SABRE, Pathetic Motorways etc. Keep up the good work.
3:27 A significant part of the old original A20 (M) section still exists and is in use today. If you come of at Junction 8 and head towards the A20, you will pass under a road bridge that carried coastbound traffic over the line of the M20 and onto the A20 where until 1991 it used to terminate. Today it is used by eastbound traffic to by-pass the roundabout, it is surprisingly useful when there is plenty of traffic diverted when Brock is in use. A google earth view from 1960 and 1990 and today shows how J8 has changed over the years
As someone who grow up in Kent but left the UK over 20 years ago this brings back memories. I remember driving the old M20 before it was upgraded. As to decommissioning the old junction for the new J10, here in the US they would just slap the new intersection in, not worry about crossing traffic and let chaos ensue. US interstate system is a complete cluster**k; no standards at all. At least in the UK, you can rely on the motorway system being designed the same way no matter where you are.
Wasn't RAF Westenhanger a real airfield? I think there was some flying there in WW1 and certainly 660 Squadron operated out of there for a few months either side of D-Day.
You didn't mention the section for junctions 5 and 6 with the 2 lane distributor roads either side. Each entry and exit is a different layout and back in 1995 when it opened, the local press claimed this was to test them to see what worked best.
Ooh, I didn't know about the inland border facility. I guess that's where most of my work deliveries go through, and why it's a crapshoot as to whether any chemical turns up on time.
To be honest you do some great episodes, and as a side note I've driven the E15 route many times, but it's only marked as that in Europe and not here?, its almost like the UK is anti European? Odd.
Thanks for that Google Earth image of the grass track layout. I'd read that it was kidney shaped so I'd reckoned that the first tarmac version must have been laid over it, but I wasn't sure where it went before the hairpin at Druids was put in. By the way in the days of the motor cycle grass track racing they went the other way round to the current configaration.
The M20 which is the "gateway" motorway to Europe from London does have a bad reputation of being a massive car park when approching Port of Dover that the M20 ends at Folkestone and becomes the A20 towards Dover. And the M26 which is a link motorway that links from M25 South to the M20 before Maidstone.
I live next to the M20 (you get used to the constant drone after a short while) and use it every day driving to work. It is my life and now I find out it's also called the E15?
The M20 is Britain's biggest lorry park, right next to Britain's biggest car park, the M25.
My old jhoke about any motorway holdups is: You know it's bad when a van comes around to replace the emergency phones with pay and display meters...
Facts
AHAHAHA
It's okay soon all the poors will be forced out of ICE vehicles and only the rich who can afford EVS will be driving
I passed under that destroyed footbridge approx 30 mins before it was brought down. If the missus had taken any longer getting ready we may have been in trouble.
I work at the Ashford International Truckstop just off of J10A. I can confirm that the new junction was not just because of the Inland Border Force site (although that is part of it), but mainly due to easing of congestion around peak times around the old J10 roundabout. Sometimes in days gone past, it would be gridlocked for ages as the traffic lights were synced badly it seemed. Anyone local to the area would agree with me that when the traffic lights failed and it was a free-for-all, it actually worked better!!!
any true Ashfordian would know to avoid that area at peak times.. it always used to catch out those unfamiliar or new to the area like a snare trap
Ummm getting out of the William Harvey Hospital used to be interesting!!
This is what I’ve just commented. I lived in Ashford for years, J10A had been in the plans for years and the Waterbrook Development was not allowed to progress without the additional junction.
I lived in Bridgefield at one point and it could take me up to an hour to get to J10 if there was traffic backing all the way up to the cloverleaf. It was a nightmare.
I eventually moved to a lovely Victorian house in South Willesborough so it gave me options of going through Orbital or down Boys Hall if it was rush hour.
Closing the coastbound slip road next to Tesco is ridiculous. Why not just leave it there? You now have to make a 5minute detour via roundabouts and traffic lights to join.. Crazy
@@johnsayer116 have a look at a satellite image, you'll see that the London bound j10a slips are in the way.
Back in the 1970's I lived on a farm opposite the A20 entrance to Brands Hatch, the farm was on both sides of the A20, and ended up with the M20 running through the fields, so now if you find Brands Hatch on the M20 and then go back towards Junction 1 about 1Km you will find a substantial bridge, going between two fields with no roads on either side, this bridge served two purposes, firstly it carries the Kent Gas Main over the M20 and secondly it was built wide enough and strong enough for a combine harvester to cross between the fields on either side, when the M20 was being built they knew the farm would be cut in two and that the Gas Main would need to go over the Motorway, so the team responsible came to see my father and asked what size bridge he would need, he asked that they build something wide enough to take a combine with a 33ft wide cutting bar on it, that is why instead of something wide enough for a footbridge to take the gas main, theres a substantial bridge linking two fields
This requires a Google Earth link!
Very interesting
Does that mean if I buy a combine harvester, I can have my own private road built directly to and from work 🤔
@@pauldonatantonio7785 I guess he @David Orf means this 3 word location - ///wrong.modes.rocket
@@louistaylor8808 Because the motorway was severing the existing farm.
Being an E-route in a lot of areas got you a lot of EU investment in your road back in the day. The 20 year old road which runs past my house here in the Highlands wouldn't have existed without it.
I didn't know that, most interesting.
There are some minimum requirements for things like services, rest areas etc that go along with E-routes too.
Although the UK seems to miss the point of decent rest-areas, and instead likes it's truckers to park-up on industrial estates and side-roads overnight.
I'm glad the government were so invested in these E-routes! Most people don't know where they are or if they exist thanks to no signage.
I was never aware that we were ever part of any E-Routes - yet another EU benefit we had taken for granted.
But as the video shows, we also get a new and beautiful lorry-park off the M20 (as if Brexit hadn't turned the actual M20 into a lorry-park of its own).
So - yay, Brexit! what a wonderful benefit it has been!
@@steveparker9946 😴
In a previous life I earned my living travelling thousands of miles a week going everywhere from the north of norway to the sweatier parts of italy, and most of the bits in between. So I have a love/hate relationship with the M20, It either meant I was nearly home, or I still had a long way to go.
I'm loving your work dude, The abandoned roads series is treat, How about an A1 special some time, there's a LOT of stretches out there that are either disused or down-graded but were once vital parts of the great north road, as a bonus, there's a lot of old road-houses, inns and pubs along the route to make filming that little bit more civilised.
+Auto Shenanigans
Found this channel about a week ago and have been wondering how it hasn't been recommended before.
Top class videos, great mix of facts and humour with relaxed presentation, the bloopers are comical too.
Subscribed
Nice one, thanks for watching :)
Same here really, hubby came across this channel and we've been working our way around the motorways since.
I enjoy the presenting style - and I don't mind the hat! 😆
The Wild West of England - dungeness 😂 spot on although add Lydd and camber to make a trilogy of despair 😬
It's a crazy place! The trilogy of despair... I like it... there's a video title right there!
I love Dungeness especially on the little train!
personally i love ol' Dunge especially on the off season, a great place to relax and gather ones thoughts to the sounds of the waves, it may be a desolate wasteland but that's the appeal for many of us
@@AutoShenanigans DO IT !!!
I remember the old bit of the M20 around Maidstone before it was widened. It was actually hedged and the embankments were a riot of primroses in the spring. All swept away now, of course.
1:21 blimey those cars are reversing quickly on the motorway!
I like that your tone suggests things shouldn't be as interesting as you do actually make them. Spot on!
You missed a bit of history. When the London end of the M20 opened it ran from the M25 to the point where the M20 crosses the A20 just south east of West Kingsdown. The rest of the route towards Maidstone took longer at the planning and construction phase due I think to the difficulties crossing the escarpment of the North Downs (which was breached by the steep hill up from junction 3 past junction 2). With this section of the motorway not ready it just ended with a slope down to the A20 and a simple and cheap traffic light controlled junction. This ramp is immediately to the east (left when driving out of London) of the current bridge over the A20. This enabled the full M25 junction to be used prior to the completion of the rest of the M20.
Thanks to the algorithm recognising that this was a channel I didn't know I needed in my life and recommending your 'Secrets of the M1' video to rectify that about a week or so ago, I've subscribed and been having a bit of a binge since. Keep up the good work - I didn't know that Britain's motorway network had so many hidden gems!
It's surprising what you can find if you look! Thanks for watching mate!
Man wanders around on verges.
Lovely stuff.
you got it! ;)
Great video. For the sake of good order - you can join the M20 at Ashford to go West / North at both J10 and J10a - we are spoilt for choice!
I live in Wolverhampton and have spent most of my life sat in traffic on the M6. Seeing all these cars moving on a motorway is alien to me. Science fiction if you try to get to Brum.
The strawberries of Kent are fantastic greetings from Scotland thanks 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I live in Folkstone and the M20 is THE biggest lorry park in the UK! You spend 15+ miles doing 40 on the opposite side and is THE Bain of my life!!!!
Spent my childhood exploring the hills around the Folkestone. Although to be expected to some degree, it's always a tad surreal to see little old Ftown on UA-cam like this, and especially on television. Folkestone harbour appeared as the setting for Tom Scott's video on "non-brewed condiment". Interesting tidbits on the M20, thanks for uploading :)
John your commentary is nothing short of gifted.
On the way back to Poland I went on the M20. And from France to Poland we went on the E40 in 2 parts: From France to Belgium and from Germany to Poland. It feels like yesterday. Great video!
I don't know why but the frasier music was just perfect. Good work, Sir.
It's a great tune :D
Quite stylish....
Some skilful reversing going on at 1:19, both on the track and the motorway :p
Yes, I have heard of the M20. It's the UK's most famous lorry park!!
It is! And you'll notice lorries parked up in some of our footage.
@@AutoShenanigans does the M20 rival the M25 as being the circular car park
The lorry park is what happens when the public sector interacts with the private sector. It's a clash of cultures: can't do - v- can do.
6:08 Faaakin' ell!! Look at the lorry queues!!! I drive HGVs and in the past Eurotramping was actually kind of fun to do. You got on the boat, no customs checks, that was it. Queues occurred only a few times a year. These days - every day, certainly on the UK side, it's a ruddy nightmare. I won't touch it.
I imagine these days it's more hassle than its worth!
Great humour, editing, presentation and amazing drone skills. I have binge-watched all the services recently and love it. Have spent many dull hours on M3,M25,M26 and M20.
Much kudos for keeping Beanie hat going in these recent hot temps!
I've only just found your channel and I'm loving this series!
Nice one, thanks for watching mate!
A Sunday is the perfect day for one of your vids , thank you !!
I figure no one has anything better to do :D
@@AutoShenanigans I have poor quality videos to make .... 🤣🤣🤣🤣
1:51 I used to take this junction to go to school still remember it
Actually, J10A had been in the plan for approximately 20 years along with the Bellamy Gurner scheme that Ashford has recently started to build. (Previous Orbital Roundabout)
The inland border facility was not part of the original plans and it was only because of government compulsory purchase that the land there ended up being used. They refused to provide environmental FOI requests after the announcement that it would be built so close to the historic Sevington Church.
The building of the IBF only commenced some time after J10A had been completed and required months on months of additional roadworks to redesign the layout to accommodate right turning traffic onto what was previously a segregated omnidirectional dual carriageway without allocation for u-turns or right turns.
The original J10 was buckling under pressure, having used the junction daily to get to work it was one of just two points in Ashford that motorists can cross from one side of the motorway to the other. With J10 linking directly to the A2070 bypass built in the 90s to skim Ashford and Hamstreet, finishing at a small roundabout with the A259, all traffic directed to Folkestone/Hastings was via this junction and bypass even if it was often quicker to use J11/Hythe (originally designed as a major junction for a motorway all the way to Brighton).
Always a bonus to be pleasantly surprised by a cheeky burst of Play Your Cards Right. Higher than the M20.... it's the M26!
J10A was built to support the sheer amount of housing being built around Ashford. The Government just opportunistically bought some land earmarked for a new business park near it in 2020 to build the border facility.
Hi John
Can you do a series of places that were heavily fought over by the likes of Swampy? Greenham Common, Newbury bypass, all these places need to be seen and explained.
Interesting subject for sure. Swampy is a "local" as well coming from Luton.
@@AutoShenanigans Coz you are a relatable guy with a drone and a good mate to help out, I think you are ideal for covering these places where a battle went on. Another one is Hamilton Palace, which is an abandoned mansion bigger than Buckingham Palace that is owned by a notable 'crook'.
I would also like to see what your drone can see in Gloucestershire, which is home to where all the royals live. What can be seen with a nearby drone? And do they live there just because of the M4?
I would also like to see what they did to things like coal mines or former steel or car factories, with the perspective being the roads built.
Swampy nearly died from heart trouble. Thankfully, they offered him a new bypass.
@@cargy930 outstanding. 😂
tywford down ,was that swampy stomping ground
There's a part of the M3 between J6-7 that has a slip road that just cuts off very shortly after it starts, and then kind of restarts 75m-100m or so up the road with just farmland inbetween, which had been confusing the hell out of me for years. Your channel finally spurred me on to do some research on it. It took quite some time but I found out it was going to be Kempshott Services but ultimately no bids came in that did the location justice, so the plans were shelved. This part of the M3 having been built in the 70s. You probably get these sort of comments often but I'd love to see a video on it.
Keep up the good work!
M3 you say.. hit that notification bell.. you'll like the next episode.
@@AutoShenanigans Corr, no shit?! 🔔🔨
@@AutoShenanigans yess!! M3. My second favourite motorway.
Interesting to see traffic around Brands Hatch briefly driving backwards… 🙂
Excellent video 🙌 looking forward to the video on 8 mile stretch that calls itself the m26.. The M20 also has operation brock/stac. Pretty unique. Plus sections between jcts 4 and 7 were used for smart motorway pilots.
Another great video - amazing drone footage - I’m amazed you can fly it over places like Brands hatch and the channel tunnel terminal!
Of course we always check for flight restricted areas but yes it's quite surprising sometimes!! We try to keep our distance so as not to annoy anyone :D
The shot of you appearing out of the undergrowth after the historical image of Brands Hatch was hilarious. 😆
My parents used to ferry me down the M20 a lot in the early 80's when it started at the M25 (well the little bit that was constructed and ran between the A2 and the A20) and ended at the A20, West Kingsdown, where upon the traffic used to go from three lanes to one and exit via a long gone junction. There it used to bottle neck and a slow run down the A20 where it joined the M26 at Wrotham Heath which then led on to the M20 past Maidstone.
Interesting stuff. The view from Castle Hill in the other direction towards Dover is worth mentioning ( even though it is on the following A-road). Below Castle Hill to the east are the twin viaducts constructed from hollow concrete section cast on site in a jig with moving sides that would be repositioned to create each unique section. The Channel Tunnel is directly below two support piers and was constructed to take the additional weight at that point. Round Hill Tunnel is next and the northbound exit was cut just a little too high. Travelling at speed you can feel the road surface drop away as you join the viaduct!
I'm loving the Secrets of the Motorway series! Many thanks John, your research is very thorough and I also like your witty delivery style. Can I suggest an urbex series on maybe disused airbases or other interesting places / sites?
Don't come to norfolk If you do a dis-used airbase series, there's too many, although a few of them are quite interesting to petrolheads. Snetterton (race-trrack), Hethel (lotus cars HQ and test-track), Sculthorpe (MOD special driver-training and a bit of rallying/sprint). But most of them are chicken/turkey farms now.
RAF Fursfield for example.... ua-cam.com/video/idYw7iWr9eU/v-deo.html
We love a bit of urbex, the forgotten race track series probably features the most urbex, if it's related (loosely) to the automotive world then we're up for it.
I once spent a week working at Upper Heyford, mainly checking over and moving imported cars around, prior to transport to the showroom.
My boss was chatting to me as we stood on what he told me was the longest runway in Europe (disused, of course!).
I got to drive a Mercedes along it.....
What did I stumble into?
I don't even know why I sat through a quirky documentary about UKs highway,
I live in India.
Subscribed, anyways. :)
Yeah im not sure either but glad to have you, thanks for watching
I will continue to enjoy your videos with or without the hat.
If it matters, I vote to keep the hat.
Nice video! You need to go down the M50 in Herefordshire, there are some weird and whacky junctions on it!
We will investigate!
I've lived in and around Maidstone all my life so have spent many an hour on pretty much all of the M20. Seen it change a lot in 20 odd years I've been driving.
Super video. Love the drone shots.
Did _not_ expect to hear a choral arrangement of the Halo Theme in this. xD
I am glad this channel started appearing in recommendations, although I don't live in the UK, the content is really interesting.
Where abouts in the world are you friend?
Interesting, areas that most of us haven’t seen before. Thanks John. Good work, all the best Bob
Gotta do one of these for the A14 v old A14…… also whilst it’s a bit of a longer job the A303 is fascinating too.
Thank you sir! So that's why my satnav says M6 E05! I've always wondered but never knew why
That sounds like a fancy sat nav! :D
Well it cost roughly £100,000. Its a built in truck satnav 😉
I'm one of your new subscribers having not seen your channel previously. I'm working my way through your back catalogue and finding it very enjoyable! How the devil are you, and have you had a good week? Puts a smile on my face every time. Keep up the good work. Cheers from New Zealand.
Awesome, thanks very much! NZ... that's a long way... do you even have motorways there ;-)
10A, 2A. It would have been much better if the UK used the American style numbering system where the junctions are numbered based on miles from the start of the motorway. If you're at junction 2 and need to get off at junction 46 you know it's 44 miles to go. No issues when junctions are added when you have that kind of system.
Don't see many comments pointing out the Halo at the end there so I thought I'd say that it's a nice touch, nice little easter egg along with other game music you've done in other videos.
2-4-6-8, ain't never too late ...for a video about the M20.
3-5-7-9... tarmac. Rhyming/lyrics were never my strong point.
Love the content and the delivery. No idea why.
Best not question such things.
Superb. Hat n all.
Nice one John. Makes a change to see a video local to me. Keep up the good work. 👍
Oh very nice
Jon puts in the hard yards so we don't have to.. many thanks my friend.. Subscribed!
Behind the M25, the M20 (until I learnt to drive) was the motorway I was driven down the most. Many many travels to France to see my family (am half French) over the first 19 years of my life. Either to Folkstone when that was completed, or Folkstone for the train.
Ironically, I've only ever driven along it twice since I learnt to drive...
I don't think I've gone along it since 2018 so actually... So I've never seen jct 10A. Which, for some reason is weird.
The bridge crash happened the day before we were leaving my grandma's in France. Good job it was all cleared up when we got there - it was slow (due to the works), but clear.
Graffiti bridge in Medway. Makes sence we might not be classy but do put a good effort into things, when it doesn't effect our benefits
Have you looked at the motorway section of the motorway to the North of Ashford. The Ashford bypass route was started before WW2 but the halted. Later completed to become the A20 bypass. The outline of the route can be seen in the 1940 Google Earth image.
I shall take a look!
The M20 runs West to East or vice versa, not North to South just for accuracy, love the videos keep them coming.
Just for accuracy it runs north west to south east (carriageway A) and south east to north west (carriageway B) although when I worked for Area 4 we just said coast bound or London bound . . .😄
Great video, I have used the M20/26 to go to Ashford J10 for 35 years first from Dover >Ashford and now wrotham > Ashford. Don’t mention Operation Brook!!!!!
Nice work John, I'm a recent acolyte (felt appropriate to use that word given the outro music) to the channel and enjoy all things unfinished and mysterious about our road network e.g. SABRE, Pathetic Motorways etc. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for watching. I'd be nothing without sabre, Pathetic motorways, roads.org etc, MSO etc.
I think you do a great of of making every video different from the others.
But similar enough so there is a comfort zone to them.
Well done.
☮
I like to keep a "series" similar throughout if I can. The subjects change of course thanks to what's on offer on the various roads, it works I think.
Love this chanel & your delivery is great, thanks John
3:27 A significant part of the old original A20 (M) section still exists and is in use today. If you come of at Junction 8 and head towards the A20, you will pass under a road bridge that carried coastbound traffic over the line of the M20 and onto the A20 where until 1991 it used to terminate. Today it is used by eastbound traffic to by-pass the roundabout, it is surprisingly useful when there is plenty of traffic diverted when Brock is in use. A google earth view from 1960 and 1990 and today shows how J8 has changed over the years
Good stuff 😃
nice one mate!
Drone and hat: brilliant!
The Halo theme at the end
1:25 love the fact everything is in reverse😆
Sometimes a reversed shot looks better.. apart from some of the smaller details maybe :D
As someone who grow up in Kent but left the UK over 20 years ago this brings back memories. I remember driving the old M20 before it was upgraded. As to decommissioning the old junction for the new J10, here in the US they would just slap the new intersection in, not worry about crossing traffic and let chaos ensue. US interstate system is a complete cluster**k; no standards at all. At least in the UK, you can rely on the motorway system being designed the same way no matter where you are.
5:47. The concrete structure may have been built during WW2 as part of RAF Westenhanger, a dummy airfield which was built on the race course.
Wasn't RAF Westenhanger a real airfield? I think there was some flying there in WW1 and certainly 660 Squadron operated out of there for a few months either side of D-Day.
So glad I found this channel, I find it both amusing and interesting
Nice one mate!
Nice one - Really looking forward to when you do the M5
You didn't mention the section for junctions 5 and 6 with the 2 lane distributor roads either side. Each entry and exit is a different layout and back in 1995 when it opened, the local press claimed this was to test them to see what worked best.
Another fantastic video, thanks John!
Nice one mate!
Wonderful content as usual
Thank you
No.... thank you.
@@AutoShenanigans
Pleased to hear that that hat will remain in place.
Love your channel just found ur channel about a week ago love all this ❤
1:44 - Meades would be proud. 👍
Operation Brock between Junction 8 and 9 is either temporarily permanent or permanently temporary.
Excellent job gentlemen!
Gosh, who'd've thought that motorways could be made interesting.
Another great video, thank you very much! Engaging, entertaining and informative. You have a good channel.
Thanks a lot!
Your choices of music soundbites are brilliant
We have the E4 here in Cyprus, most of it is a dirt track, some of it goes along the beach near Paphos Airport.
Not quite the "international road of excellence" they had in mind then.
Ooh, I didn't know about the inland border facility. I guess that's where most of my work deliveries go through, and why it's a crapshoot as to whether any chemical turns up on time.
That sounds about right!
awesome video, looking forward to the next one. Also looking forward to when you do the M5 as it's my closest motorway because i am in Devon
Another good episode.
Thanks for watching mate.
To be honest you do some great episodes, and as a side note I've driven the E15 route many times, but it's only marked as that in Europe and not here?, its almost like the UK is anti European? Odd.
Cheers mate. Some of the UK seems to be anti euro for sure. Silly idea.
A deserved increase in subscribers!
Obviously filmed before it became a lorry park to ease delay congestion at Dover and EuroTunnel.
If we'd have filmed it the day after, we'd have been screwed!
1:20 ...and he's coming into the pits, backwards, to change those brand new tyres for blistered old ones :)
Thanks for that Google Earth image of the grass track layout. I'd read that it was kidney shaped so I'd reckoned that the first tarmac version must have been laid over it, but I wasn't sure where it went before the hairpin at Druids was put in. By the way in the days of the motor cycle grass track racing they went the other way round to the current configaration.
You missed a ‘locals’ exit off the M20 to get into Hythe more quickly 😊
Another good one John. No outtakes at the end, you must have got everything right first time 😉
haha, far from it but I only include outtakes if there's something funny to see... me cursing at the camera several times over gets boring :D
The M20 which is the "gateway" motorway to Europe from London does have a bad reputation of being a massive car park when approching Port of Dover that the M20 ends at Folkestone and becomes the A20 towards Dover. And the M26 which is a link motorway that links from M25 South to the M20 before Maidstone.
I'm loving this series!
You should get yerself over here to Northern Ireland, spotted one or two unusual junction stubs and whatnot
I live next to the M20 (you get used to the constant drone after a short while) and use it every day driving to work. It is my life and now I find out it's also called the E15?